Inquiry Update: New Modules Announced
The Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Baroness Hallett, has set out plans to open three further investigations in 2023 and confirmed she aims to conclude public hearings by summer 2026.
The Inquiry is split into different investigations, which will examine different parts of the UK’s preparedness for and response to the pandemic and its impact.
So far, the Inquiry has opened three investigations:
- Module 1: Pandemic preparedness and resilience;
- The Inquiry will begin hearing evidence for Module 1 in public hearings on 13 June 2023.
- Modules 2, 2A, 2B and 2C: Core political and administrative decision making in the UK and devolved administrations (Modules 2, 2A, 2B and 2C);
- Public hearings will begin for Module 2 in October 2023. This will be followed by public hearings for Module 2C (decision-making in Northern Ireland) in April 2024.
- Module 3: The impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems (Module 3). The inquiry has also announced it expects Module 3 public hearings to begin in autumn 2024.
In 2023, the Inquiry will also open three new investigations:
- Module 4 will open on 5th June 2023 and will examine vaccines, therapeutics and anti-viral treatment across the UK. The Inquiry plans to hear evidence for this investigation in the summer of 2024. The scope for Module 4 will be published on the Inquiry website on 5th June 2023.
- Module 5 will examine Government Procurement across the UK. The Inquiry will open this investigation in October 2023, with evidence hearings scheduled for early 2025.
Module 6, examining the care sector across the UK, will open in December 2023. Public hearings will begin in spring 2025.
The Chair, Baroness Hallett has promised to publish regular reports, to ensure the Inquiry proceeds in a timely manner. She hopes to publish reports for Module 1 (preparedness and resilience) and Module 2 (core decision making) during 2024.
The Inquiry will announce the next 12 months’ investigations in early 2024. A full list of the topics that the Inquiry will investigate can be found in our Terms of Reference which can be accessed here.
The inquiry has confirmed that future investigations will cover testing and tracing, education, children and young persons, Governmental intervention by way of financial support for business, jobs, and the self employed, additional funding of public services and the voluntary/community sector, benefits and support for vulnerable people.
The Inquiry’s final modules will specifically investigate impact and inequalities in the context of public services which will include key workers and in the context of businesses.
The Inquiry is aiming to complete public hearings by summer 2026.