Public Inquiry Recommendations

COVID-M1.1 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Simplify Emergency Preparedness Structures

The governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should each simplify and reduce the number of structures with responsibility for preparing for and building resilience to whole-system civil …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, agreeing that clear governance is needed to build resilience across the UK …

COVID-M1.2 Accepted in Part

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Cabinet Office Leadership for Emergencies

The UK government should: abolish the lead government department model for whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience; and require the Cabinet Office to lead on preparing for and building resilience …

- The government accepted this recommendation with modification in its response published 16 January 2025, retaining the Lead Government Department model but expanding the Cabinet …

COVID-M1.3 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Improved Risk Assessment Approach

The UK government and devolved administrations should work together on developing a new approach to risk assessment that moves away from a reliance on single reasonable worst-case scenarios towards an …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, agreeing with the need to improve risk assessment beyond single reasonable worst-case …

COVID-M1.4 Accepted in Part

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

UK-wide Civil Emergency Strategy

The UK government and devolved administrations should together introduce a UK-wide whole-system civil emergency strategy (which includes pandemics) to prevent each emergency and also to reduce, control and mitigate its …

- The government accepted this recommendation with modification in its response published 16 January 2025, rejecting a single unified UK strategy as "unwieldy" but committing …

COVID-M1.5 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Pandemic Data Systems and Research

The UK government, working with the devolved administrations, should establish mechanisms for the timely collection, analysis, secure sharing and use of reliable data for informing emergency responses, in advance of …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, agreeing that data and research are crucial to pandemic preparedness (UK Government …

COVID-M1.6 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Triennial Pandemic Exercises

The UK government and devolved administrations should together hold a UK-wide pandemic response exercise at least every three years. The exercise should: test the UK-wide, cross-government, national and local response …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, programming a Tier 1 ministerial-level pandemic exercise for 2025 (UK Government Response …

COVID-M1.7 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Publish Exercise Reports and Lessons

For all civil emergency exercises, the governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should each (unless there are reasons of national security for not doing so): publish an …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, committing to publish findings from Tier 1 exercises unless there are justifiable …

COVID-M1.8 Accepted in Part

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Triennial Parliamentary Resilience Reports

The governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should each produce and publish reports to their respective legislatures at least every three years on whole-system civil emergency preparedness …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, committing to annual statements to Parliament on civil contingency risk (UK Government …

COVID-M1.9 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

External Red Teams for Resilience

The governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should each introduce the use of red teams in the Civil Service to scrutinise and challenge the principles, evidence, policies …

- The government accepted this recommendation in its response published 16 January 2025, agreeing that red teams are an effective means to scrutinise and challenge …

COVID-M1.10 Under Consideration

COVID-19 Inquiry (2024)

Independent Statutory Resilience Body

The UK government should, in consultation with the devolved administrations, create a statutory independent body for whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience. The new body should be given responsibility for: …

- The government rejected the creation of a new statutory independent body as recommended, instead proposing an alternative approach through strengthened existing advisory mechanisms (UK …

COVID-M2.1 Not Applicable

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

NI CMO Independence

The Department of Health (Northern Ireland) should reconstitute the role of the Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland as an independent advisory role. The Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland …

- This recommendation is addressed to the Department of Health (Northern Ireland), not the UK government. - The UK government stated in its Module 2 …

COVID-M2.2 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Devolved Nations SAGE Attendance

The Government Office for Science (GO-Science) should invite the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to nominate a small number of representatives to attend meetings of the Scientific Advisory …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that GO-Science has already made the required changes to address this recommendation …

COVID-M2.3 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

UK-wide Expert Register

The Government Office for Science (GO-Science) should develop and maintain a register of experts across the four nations of the UK who would be willing to participate in scientific advisory …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that GO-Science already maintains an expert register for SAGE (UK Government Response …

COVID-M2.4 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Publish Technical Advice During Emergencies

During a whole-system civil emergency, the UK government and devolved administrations should each routinely publish technical advice on scientific, economic and social matters at the earliest opportunity, as well as …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees with the importance of publishing technical advice during emergencies …

COVID-M2.5 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Advisory Group Terms of Appointment

The Government Office for Science (GO-Science), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Health (Northern Ireland) should each develop standard terms of appointment for all participants in …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that GO-Science already provides support to SAGE participants including guidance documents, wellbeing …

COVID-M2.6 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Enact Socio-economic Duty

The UK government should bring into force in England section 1 of the Equality Act 2010, implementing the socio-economic duty. The Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive should consider …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it is working toward commencement of the socio-economic duty under section …

COVID-M2.7 Under Consideration

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Statutory Child Rights Impact Assessments

The UK government should introduce legislation to place child rights impact assessments on a statutory footing in England. The Northern Ireland Executive should consider an equivalent provision.

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it does not intend to introduce legislation to make child rights …

COVID-M2.8 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Vulnerable People Framework

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should each agree a framework that identifies people who would be most at risk of becoming infected by and …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees with the importance of identifying and protecting those most …

COVID-M2.9 Under Consideration

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

NI Emergency Powers Review

The Northern Ireland Executive and UK government (in consultation with the Irish government where necessary) should review the structures and delegated powers of government in Northern Ireland to consider: the …

- This recommendation is primarily addressed to the Northern Ireland Executive and UK government jointly. - The UK government stated in its Module 2 response …

COVID-M2.10 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Pandemic Decision-Making Framework

The UK government and devolved administrations should set out in future pandemic preparedness strategies how decision-making will work in a future pandemic. This should include provision for COBR to be …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it has developed risk-specific operational plans for pandemics including a Concept …

COVID-M2.11 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Leadership Succession Arrangements

The UK government and the devolved administrations should each establish formal arrangements for covering the roles of Prime Minister and First Minister (and in Northern Ireland, deputy First Minister) as …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it accepts the recommendation and the Prime Minister will put in …

COVID-M2.12 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Central Emergency Taskforces

The response to a future whole-system civil emergency should be coordinated via central taskforces in each of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with responsibility for the commissioning and …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it has revised crisis management governance processes (UK Government Response to …

COVID-M2.13 Not Applicable

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

NI Executive Confidentiality Duty

The Executive Office should amend the Ministerial Code to impose a duty of confidentiality on ministers that prohibits the disclosure of the individual views of ministers expressed during meetings of …

- This recommendation is addressed to the Northern Ireland Executive Office, not the UK government. - The UK government stated in its Module 2 response …

COVID-M2.14 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Accessible Emergency Communications

The UK government and the devolved administrations should each develop action plans for how government communications will be made more accessible during a pandemic. As a minimum, these should include …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it has implemented measures to improve crisis communications (UK Government Response …

COVID-M2.15 Accepted in Part

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Parliamentary Scrutiny of Emergency Powers

The UK government and devolved administrations should ensure that the draft affirmative procedure is the standard process for enacting substantial and wide-ranging powers in a civil emergency, such as a …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees the legislative response to emergencies should be subject to …

COVID-M2.16 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Civil Contingencies Act Review

The UK government should undertake a review of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to assess its potential role in managing future civil emergencies, including pandemics, and whether it could be …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 should be reviewed (UK …

COVID-M2.17 Accepted in Part

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Public Emergency Information Portal

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should develop an online portal for use in future civil emergencies, where members of the public can access information …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees with the aim of making restrictions and guidance accessible …

COVID-M2.18 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Devolved Nations COBR Attendance

The UK government should invite the devolved administrations, as a matter of standard practice, to nominate relevant ministers and officials to attend COBR meetings in the event of relevant whole-system …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees devolved government representatives should be invited to COBR (UK …

COVID-M2.19 Accepted

COVID-19 Inquiry (2025)

Four Nations Pandemic Structure

While intergovernmental relations should be facilitated through COBR in the initial months of any future pandemic, the UK government and devolved administrations should ensure that a specific four-nations structure, concerning …

- The UK government stated in its Module 2 response (25 March 2026) that it agrees a clear four-nations structure is needed during the transition …

COVID-M3.1 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

IPC Structures and Transmission Risk

The UK government must ensure that there is a body (equivalent to the UK Infection Prevention and Control Cell) in place ready to be convened at the outset of any …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.2 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Visiting Restrictions Guidance

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should publish guidance for the implementation of visiting restrictions in hospitals in the event of a future pandemic. The …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.3 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Fit-Testing Preparedness

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with employers, including health boards and trusts, to review the availability of qualified fit testers and take …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.4 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Data Systems for High-Risk Individuals

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive must ensure that health data and digital systems have the capability to identify individuals at high risk of morbidity …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.5 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Scale Up Urgent and Emergency Care

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, in conjunction with organisations responsible for delivering services, should plan for surge capacity in urgent and emergency care during …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.6 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Scale Up Hospital Capacity

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with trusts and health boards to ensure that pandemic plans include practical steps to rapidly scale up …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.7 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

ICU Resource Allocation Framework

The UK government and devolved administrations should publish a UK-wide framework setting out ethical and operational principles to guide the allocation of adult intensive care resources in the extreme event …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.8 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Recording Healthcare Worker Deaths

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with their respective public health agencies and healthcare employers to develop nation-specific mechanisms to collect, analyse and …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.9 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Standardised Advance Care Planning

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, working with trusts and health boards, should establish and promote one standardised process across the UK (such as ReSPECT, …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M3.10 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Healthcare Worker Support

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, working with healthcare employers and professional bodies, should put in place plans to deliver effective support for healthcare workers …

- The Module 3 report was published on 19 March 2026. - No formal government response to Module 3 recommendations has been published as of …

COVID-M4.1 No Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Establish Pharmaceutical Expert Advisory Panel

The UK government should establish a standing pharmaceutical expert advisory panel, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The …

No formal government response has been recorded for this recommendation. No independent verification has been carried out.

COVID-M4.2 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Formalise Community Vaccine Equity Networks

The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should maintain networks with local communities to produce targeted vaccination strategies and communications. To achieve this: The Scottish Government, …

Government response: No Published Response. Status: Pending. No independent verification has been carried out.

COVID-M4.3 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Improve Vaccine Uptake Monitoring and Evaluation

Each of the four UK public health or health security agencies should work together to: maintain accurate, UK-wide insight into the state of vaccine uptake and hesitancy; and understand the …

Government response: No Published Response. Status: Pending. No independent verification has been carried out.

COVID-M4.4 No Published Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Proportionate Access to Linked Healthcare Records

The UK government and devolved administrations should work together, with their respective health delivery services, to facilitate and coordinate regulatory bodies' access to healthcare records in order to make the …

Government response: No Published Response. Status: Pending. No independent verification has been carried out.

COVID-M4.5 No Response

COVID-19 Inquiry (2026)

Reform Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme

The UK government must reform the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme as soon as possible. The reform should include as a minimum: increasing the £120,000 payment, at least in line with …

No formal government response has been recorded for this recommendation. No independent verification has been carried out.