The lesson which must be learned from the various tribunals and inquiries is that we should not repress awkward queries because they will come back to bite us much harder at a later date. We have come considerably closer – we are by no means perfect in this regard – to the ideals of openness, transparency and accountability in government. However, there is at times an instinct to transfer responsibility to independent bodies which may or may not practice those virtues as well as the political system.