By bizn_fun 
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance think tank, said: “It’s an absolute disgrace that ministers have burnt through an extra £100m on top of what the inquiry itself has already spent.
“These new figures show the total cost to taxpayers will be far higher than previously feared.
“Ministers must urgently get a grip on the spiralling costs of the Covid Inquiry and commit to delivering answers swiftly and efficiently.”
A spokesman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK said the work of the inquiry was “vital” and any costs would be recouped many times over in the future if lessons were learned by reducing the economic impact of the next pandemic as well as saving lives.
But he added: “The inquiry process is far from perfect.”
He said the group supported the Hillsborough Law, which is working its way through parliament and strengthens the legal duty on public authorities to assist public inquiries.
He said public inquiries like the Covid one needed to become more efficient and less adversarial.
“Only then can we bring down the cost of future inquiries while protecting access to justice.”
A spokesman for the Covid inquiry said: “The inquiry is unlike any previous public inquiry. It was given a very broad scope because it is investigating multiple aspects of a pandemic that affected everyone in society.”
He said the chair had made clear at the start that it would take time and have significant cost, but it was working faster than any other public inquiry of comparable size, pointing out all the hearings would be finished by spring 2026.
He said it would result in recommendations that are intended to better protect the UK when the next pandemic strikes, but would not comment on the nature of the relationship with the government.