Is there a standard timeframe between the nomination of the chair and the confirmation of the terms of reference?
No, there isn't. However, the chair or proposed chair must be consulted on the terms of reference so the announcement as to the chair usually precedes any announcement as to terms of reference, although it is possible for the government to announce the 'aims' or 'purpose' of an inquiry before the specific terms of reference are confirmed.
Who covers legal costs for witnesses or core participants?
The chair of the inquiry can award reasonable expenses to witnesses in compensation for loss of time, costs incurred attending the inquiry, or in respect of legal representation. Most inquiries have their own costs protocols and any person applying for expenses will need to comply with the protocol. Awards for expenses are not guaranteed, particularly in respect of legal expenses, and will be subject to assessment and for determination by the chair. Refusal can under the rules be subject to review at the request of the applicant.
Will we know what information is requested from other bodies?
The way in which the inquiry will gather evidence is not yet known but requests for evidence made to organisations are addressed directly to that organisation and therefore one would not ordinarily know what has been requested from other organisations. However, for the COVID-19 inquiry, it is possible this could be slightly different if, for example, NHS England were to act as a conduit between providers and the inquiry or if the same request for evidence is sent out to all providers.
How do you think the inquiry will seek information from the NHS? Do you think it would be from all trusts, some trusts, or via NHS England?
There are varying schools of thought at the moment. It seems likely that requests may go to specific trusts for specific reasons (for example, those with outlier experiences in terms of nosocomial infections or numbers of admissions, those who were providing specialist care, those who were running Nightingale hospitals, those who took charge of gold command, etc), with broader information collation requests going via NHS England and potentially integrated care systems (ICSs). There may also be a role for NHS England and organisations such as Health and Safety Investigation Branch, which may be asked to expand on some of its short COVID-19 reports.