£145million: Staggering cost of Covid Inquiry so far – and it’s still got another three years to run

More than £145million of private contracts have already been awarded by the Covid Inquiry — even though the probe has years left to run.

Taxpayer-funded packages have been dealt to legal firms and solicitors tasked with probing key witnesses, as well as data processing companies. 

Critics have questioned the gargantuan cost to the public purse, demanding that it delivers answers as quickly as possible. 

The full probe, chaired by Baroness Hallett, isn’t expected to conclude until 2026. 

Official figures show the cost to be around the £56million mark.

Taxpayer-funded packages have been dealt to legal firms and solicitors tasked with probing key witnesses, as well as data processing companies. Critics have questioned the gargantuan cost to the public purse, demanding that it delivers answers as quickly as possible. The full probe, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett (pictured), isn’t expected to conclude until 2026 

Boris Johnson (pictured centre), Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock have all been grilled in eye-opening exchanges that illustrated the infighting at the heart of government. Scientific insights have also been shared by the likes of Chris Whitty (pictured left), Jonathan Van-Tam and Patrick Vallance (pictured right)

But analysis of government data by LBC and software company Tussell shows the total value of contracts stands at £145million.

This includes more than £25million awarded to data processing firm Epiq Systems, while the Cabinet Office is scheduled to spend £13.9million on law firm Burges Salmon.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance also estimates that from its formal establishment the Covid Inquiry will have a total cost of over £156 million.

Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock have all been grilled in eye-opening exchanges that illustrated the infighting at the heart of government. 

Scientific insights have also been shared by the likes of Chris Whitty, Jonathan Van-Tam and Patrick Vallance. 

Excerpts of the latter’s diary were handed over to the inquiry as part of its second module, which began in October, examining government decision-making during the darkest days of the crisis.

In them, he wrote that the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak was ‘all about handling the scientists’ rather than managing the virus outbreak during a meeting.

Another read: ‘Number 10 chaos as usual.

‘On Friday, the two-metre rule meeting made it abundantly clear that no one in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office had really read or taken time to understand the science advice on two metres. Quite extraordinary.’

Yet, it is reported that Sir Patrick’s full diary won’t be published, despite pleas for transparency. 

Eight media organisations together have argued that the entries — redacted to chop personal and irrelevant information — should be shown in context as part of a full diary page.

However, Sir Patrick’s legal team has argued this would breach his right to privacy and that he had never intended for the notes to be made public.

Excerpts of the latter’s diary were handed over to the inquiry as part of its second module, which began in October, examining government decision-making during the darkest days of the crisis. In them, he wrote that the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak was ‘all about handling the scientists’ rather than managing the virus outbreak during a meeting. Another read: ‘ Number 10 chaos as usual. ‘On Friday, the two-metre rule meeting made it abundantly clear that no one in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office had really read or taken time to understand the science advice on two metres. Quite extraordinary’ 

Neil Sheldon KC, representing the Government Office for Science, also told the inquiry today in his closing submissions: ‘Sir Patrick explained in both his written and oral evidence how those notes came to be written, and how they were never intended to be read by anyone else for any purpose.

‘It has been said that he provided them to the inquiry willingly and to the extent that it was not necessary for you, my lady, to exercise your powers of compulsion to enforce the request.

‘But that does not mean, as you know, that he provided them enthusiastically.’

Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett yesterday also suggested that only individual extracts from the transcribed note would be published. 

Addressing the probe today, Mr Sheldon also said ‘recollections may vary’ on events that took place in the early stages of the pandemic.

It is the same phrase the late Queen Elizabeth used in a short 61-word statement days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex accused the palace of racism in 2021. 

He added: ‘In general terms and as reflected in his statement, Sir Patrick considers that those with the heavy responsibility of core decision-making during the pandemic, took care to listen to and understand the scientific advice provided by SAGE [the government’s scientific advisory group].

‘Everyone, particularly in the early months was operating in the fog of war and under acute pressure of time, and it is inevitable that recollections on some matters vary, and misunderstandings may have arisen.’