MPs failing to ensure Government learns lessons from major tragedies - report
1 min read
MPs are failing to check up on whether the Government has taken action in the wake of major tragedies, a damning new report has revealed.
Out of some 68 public inquiries that have taken place since 1990 just six have been followed up by select committees, according to the Institute for Government.
Emma Norris from the thinktank lamented that there was “no proper procedure for holding government to account for change”.
The Government has spent some £639m on public inquiries over the past 30 years and turns to them increasingly after major incidents and tragedies, the IfG found.
Over the past decade at least six were running at any one time, while eight are currently ongoing – including the Grenfell Tower inquiry and the contaminated blood inquiry.
But the IfG said inquiries take too long to publish findings, while no formal checks or procedures exist to ensure they bring about meaningful change.
IfG programme director Ms Norris said: “Our report finds that the aftermath of inquiries are being neglected.
“The implementation of findings is patchy and there is no proper procedure for holding government to account for change.
“Government needs to systematically provide a full and detailed response to inquiry findings and select committees need to make the follow up to inquiry recommendations a core part of their work.”
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