Lords question Ministry of Justice officials

• Parliament TV: Inquiries Act 2005
• Committee on the Inquiries Act 2005

The House of Lords Select Committee on the Inquiries Act 2005 is investigating whether that Act is an adequate framework for public inquiries and whether public inquiries are fit for purpose, sufficiently thorough and cost-effective.

Witnesses

Committee Room 4a, Palace of Westminster.

At 10.40 am

• Judith Bernstein, Head of Coroners, Burials, Cremation and Inquiries Policy Team, Ministry of Justice

Purpose of the session

They will be asked to explain the background to the Act and the policy behind it, and to say whether it has improved the law and practice governing public inquiries, and whether further changes would help.

The witnesses will in particular be asked:

• Is it right that ministers should have the power to set up, or not to set up, an inquiry?
• What criteria are used by ministers to decide when requests for public inquiries should be granted (bearing in mind that none has been set up under the Act since Leveson in July 2011)?
• Has the Inquiries Act 2005 succeeded in making inquiries less drawn-out and less costly?
• Have levels of public confidence in the inquiries process improved since the Act?

Further information

• About Parliament: Select Committees
• Visiting Parliament: Select Committees

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