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Written question asked by Andrew Snowden (Conservative) on Thursday, 16 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Sarah Jones (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.


Undercover Policing Inquiry

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has undertaken an equality impact assessment in relation to proposals concerning the future of the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Answer

i) The Undercover Policing Inquiry employs 36 civil servants. An additional 99 staff are contracted or sourced through a managed services contract to provide other services, such as legal support.

ii) The Inquiry’s first interim report was published in June 2023. This covered the Inquiry’s Tranche One investigations of the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) between 1968 and 1982 and did not make any recommendations. The next interim report is due in Autumn 2027 and will not make any recommendations.

iii) The Government has considered whether there are any direct or indirect discrimination issues arising as a result of holding a consultation and has sought to ensure that the consultation is accessible to anyone who wishes to participate. In addition to responding through an online survey, individuals may submit responses by email. Following the conclusion of the consultation period, any decisions taken on the direction of the inquiry will aim to take account of an assessment of their impact on equality.

iv) The Inquiry’s full costs are published on its website, and these are updated periodically as further costs are incurred: Undercover Policing Inquiry – Costs. As of the end of March 2026, its total expenditure was £137,067,000. For each financial year from the establishment of the Inquiry, these costs are broken down as follows:

Financial year

Spend (£)

15/16

1,579,436

16/17

4,387,420

17/18

4,454,044

18/19

6,828,000

19/20

10,005,200

20/21

12,221,400

21/22

11,156,100

22/23

13,566,500

23/24

18,152,700

24/25

27,633,200

25/26

27,083,000


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19537
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Equality Impact assessments Undercover Policing Inquiry
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk