Covid Inquiry Module 9

The Chair of the Covid Inquiry announced that the Inquiry would be split into modules, with each module investigating a different area of the pandemic, from the Government’s preparedness to their response.

• Module 1 of the Inquiry investigated the Government’s preparedness and resilience for a pandemic.
• Module 2 investigated the Government’s decision-making processes.
• Module 3 looked into the governmental and societal response to Covid as well as dissecting the impact that the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients, and health care workers.
• Module 4 considered a range of issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme in the UK.
• Module 5 looked at the procurement and distribution of key healthcare related equipment and supplies - including PPE, ventilators, and oxygen.
• Module 6 investigated the impact of the pandemic on the publicly and privately funded adult social care sector across the United Kingdom.
• Module 7 considered and recommend approaches to testing, tracing, and isolation during the pandemic.
• Module 8 looked at the effects of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Module 9 opened on 9 July 2024. This module will examine and provide recommendations on economic support for businesses, jobs, the self-employed, vulnerable individuals, and those receiving benefits, as well as the impact of key economic interventions. Additionally, the module will consider extra funding allocated to relevant public services and the voluntary and community sectors.

The first Preliminary hearing for Module 9 was held on 23 October 2024.

You can watch the hearings live, subject to a three-minute delay, via YouTube by clicking here. To see all of the public information about the Inquiry, please visit their website here. 

Nicola Brook hosts the Covid Inquiry Podcast, which discusses what has happened on a weekly basis in court. You can also listen to all instalments of it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Module 9 Scope

This module will identify the broad range of economic interventions taken by government across the United Kingdom in response to the pandemic. These include:

1. Support for business, jobs and the self-employed, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, loan schemes, business rates relief and grants.
2. Additional funding for relevant public services.
3. Additional funding for the voluntary and community sector; and
4. Benefits and sick pay and support for vulnerable people

The module will examine how economic support was provided by the UK Government, the Devolved Administrations, and Local Government through an analysis of some key interventions. It will address issues including:

1. How was economic decision making structured and undertaken by the UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and Local Government? To what extent was there an open exchange of economic information, forecasting and expert advice?
2. How were the interventions made by the UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and Local Government funded?
3. By what criteria and with what policy objectives were individual economic interventions identified and developed?
4. How were mechanisms for delivery identified, developed, and implemented? How effective and successful were such mechanisms? How was success defined, evaluated and / or monitored?
5. How were decisions taken to end the support provided and what criteria determined the timing of the cessation of support?
6. Was there any variation in the support offered across the United Kingdom? 

You can read the full provision scope document here.

Joining the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Group

If you are bereaved and aren’t involved in the Inquiry but wish to be, we encourage you to join the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to make sure you have a voice in this Inquiry.

Join the group