The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has concluded its series of roundtables as part of its tenth and final investigation – Module 10 ‘Impact on Society’.
These roundtables will help the Inquiry as it continues to explore the impact of Covid-19 on the population of the United Kingdom. In recent weeks the Inquiry brought together more than 100 organisations to discuss nine wide-ranging topics:
- The ‘Faith groups and places of worship’ roundtable (20 February 2025) examined the experiences of religious institutions and faith communities due to closures and restrictions on worship, and adaptations during the pandemic.
- A ‘Key workers’ roundtable (25 March) heard from organisations representing key workers across a wide range of sectors about the unique pressures and risks they faced during the pandemic.
- The ‘Domestic abuse support and safeguarding’ roundtable (2 April) engaged with organisations that support victims and survivors of domestic abuse to understand how lockdown measures and restrictions impacted access to support services and their ability to provide assistance to those that needed it the most.
- A ‘Funerals, burials, and bereavement support roundtable’ (24 April) explored the effects of restrictions on funerals and how bereaved families navigated their grief during the pandemic.
- The ‘Justice system’ roundtable (7 May) addressed the impact on those in prisons and detention centres, and those affected by court closures and delays.
- A ‘Hospitality, retail, travel, and tourism industries’ roundtable (13 May) engaged with business leaders to examine how closures, restrictions and reopening measures impacted these critical sectors.
- The ‘Community-level sport and leisure’ roundtable (21 May) investigated the impact of restrictions on community level sports, fitness and recreational activities.
- A ‘Cultural institutions’ roundtable (27 May) investigated the effects of closures and restrictions on museums, theatres and other cultural institutions.
- Finally, the ‘Housing and homelessness’ roundtable (3 June) explored how the pandemic affected housing insecurity, eviction protections and homelessness support services.
Summary reports for each roundtable will be presented to the Inquiry Chair, Baroness Hallett, before being disclosed as evidence. These reports, along with other evidence collected, will help inform the Chair’s investigations, findings and recommendations.
These roundtables are an integral part of our Module 10 investigation and the ongoing preparations for the Inquiry’s final set of hearings which start on 18 February 2026.
Chairing some of these meetings gave me a personal insight into the experiences from these diverse industries and sectors. I would like to thank all participants for bringing their insights and expertise to these open and collaborative discussions. Rest assured that your input will help inform Baroness Hallett’s recommendations for the future.
These reports will join the findings from Every Story Matters, our hearings and other evidence submitted to the Inquiry to create an unprecedented record of the UK’s pandemic experience.
Music Venue Trust welcomed the opportunity to participate in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and present our evidence of the charity and sector's experience during the Covid pandemic and the lessons that can be learned from both the Government's handling of the crisis, and the challenges the sector faced. Music Venue Trust’s guiding principle is practical solutions grounded in sector data; we hope that the sector never has to go through a similar crisis, but it is vital that reflections and evidence are turned into pragmatic learning so that we are collectively better equipped should we ever face such an emergency again.
It is vital that we learn the lessons from the pandemic and this process helps us to do that. One of these lessons is about the importance of a diverse network of shops providing food and essential services in the heart of communities, a role we're proud our members fulfilled. Any analysis of the pandemic experience should acknowledge this vital role played by thousands of businesses and millions of colleagues working in the food industry.
Module 10 is the final module of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and, in accordance with the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, will examine the impact of Covid on the population of the United Kingdom with a particular focus on key workers, the most vulnerable, the bereaved, mental health and wellbeing. The full scope and other details for Module 10 can be found on our website. The public hearings for Module 10 are scheduled to take place from 18 February 2026.