Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill expressly includes schools and FE providers within its duty of

Found: increases in other areas of law, but cited other investments in legal aid, including the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: As I’m sure you are aware, Part 7 of Schedule 1 to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: First, I am responsible for the overall policy for inquiries response, for the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: undertook to write to the Committee on three issues: 1) The interaction between the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: November 2025), Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (first reading 14th October 2025), Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: effective legal aid system for inquests, following the legal aid provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: effective legal aid system for inquests, following the legal aid provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: be aware that this committee is also very interested in the Hillsborough Law, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: development of clear codes of conduct that will complement the new requirement from the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill defines ethical conduct following the Nolan principles.

Found: Justice Campaign (2025) Written Evidence Submitted to the House of Commons, Public Office Accountability Bill

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law, that you just mentioned, aims

Found: In addition, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill - better known as the Hillsborough Law - will embed

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill on the functions of the intelligence and security services.

Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has worked closely with the UK Intelligence Community and with the Intelligence and Security Committee to assess the impact of any measures on the functions of the intelligence and security services.

The Bill includes measures designed to ensure that sensitive information is handled securely and can be protected from inappropriate disclosure. This includes information related to the functions of the intelligence and security services.

As for all public authorities, there will be some limited costs for the intelligence and security services in preparing for the application of the duty and in adapting existing practice to meet its requirements. The Bill’s impact assessment sets out that the extent of ‘new’ costs in the support of these investigative processes is likely to be low.

The Government will continue to review the impact assessment of the Bill as the Bill is amended.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to require local authorities to correct inaccurate statements.

Answered by Baroness Levitt

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill establishes a new duty of candour and assistance at Inquiries, inquests and other investigations, backed by criminal sanctions. Local authorities will be under new obligations to help investigations to find the truth by providing information and evidence with candour proactively and without favouring their own position.

The Bill already requires public authorities and officials to correct any errors or omissions in information given to an Inquiry or investigation. In the case of a public authority, they must provide a position statement and further information or clarification and must comply with other directions, as soon as reasonably practicable.

The Bill also requires local authorities to establish a professional duty of candour for all staff, to be set within a wider code of ethics. These obligations will be underpinned by a new duty requiring public bodies to promote the ethical conduct of those that work for them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the (a) names and (b) roles of all senior clinicians who declined to take part in the Ockenden Review of Nottingham Maternity and Neonatal Services.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Maternity and Neonatal Review led by Donna Ockenden is an independent review. Therefore, the Department does not hold information about those individuals who declined to participate.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, or Hillsborough Bill, that is currently in Parliament will establish a new duty of candour and assistance at inquiries, inquests, and other investigations. Once the bill achieves Royal Assent, we will extend the duty of candour to the reviews commissioned this year into maternity and neonatal care at Leeds and Sussex.

This will give the reviews’ chairs formal powers to help them find the truth from the organisations and staff involved, including compelling everyone they invite to provide evidence, whether or not they still work in the National Health Service.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Report Stage and other future stages of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will take place before the Summer Recess.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

The scheduling of Business is a matter for the Business Managers and announced two weeks in advance. Scheduling has not concluded ahead of the Summer Recess, and will be announced in due course.

Any scheduling of Commons Remaining Stages of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will form part of any future Business Statement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will provide the date of his last formal communication with the Hillsborough Law Now and Pete Weatherby KC campaign regarding the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

The Government engages regularly with Hillsborough Law Now at both an official and political level. There has been a recent change in Ministers with responsibility for this portfolio. As part of my introductory meetings, I recently met with representatives from Hillsborough Law Now, as well as others including victims, survivors, and families who support the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether disclosures to the Southport Inquiry by (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, (2) NHS England, and (3) Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, concerning "inappropriate accesses" to victim records satisfied the current text of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill is currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny and has not yet been enacted into law. It is not the practice of the Government to comment on the potential application of legislation to specific current scenarios when it is currently before Parliament and has not yet been enacted. The Bill does not provide for the duty of candour to apply retrospectively. The Government remains committed to supporting the independent Southport Inquiry.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government's publication entitled A message from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Civil Service, published on 8 July 2024, what steps Cabinet Office has the taken to deliver on the Prime Minister's commitment to deliver open and transparent government.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

Since the General Election, the UK government has introduced a new monthly Register of Ministers' Gifts and Hospitality, is working to deliver the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to introduce new duties of candour, has revised and strengthened the Ministerial Code and strengthened the role of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. In addition, the government has recently launched the call for evidence to inform the next National Action Plan for Open Government.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that individuals involved in civil justice proceedings who do not have substantial financial means to obtain barristers or paid legal advice are afforded adequate protections, support and access to justice.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Supporting access to justice for everyone in England and Wales is a key objective for this Government, and the Government recognises the important role that legal aid plays in helping some of the most vulnerable in society access legal advice.

Individuals who are unable to pay for legal advice or representation for civil justice issues may be eligible for legal aid, subject to the scope of legal aid and the eligibility rules on financial thresholds and the merits of the case as set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) and its supporting secondary legislation. Applications must generally pass a means and merits test. The means test assesses an applicant’s financial eligibility (including their capital e.g. savings), income and access to welfare benefits. The merits test assesses the merits of the case including the likelihood of success and the benefit to the applicant.

This Government is delivering the first major fee uplift for civil legal aid since 1996, investing an estimated £20 million in housing and immigration law once fully implemented. In addition, the Government’s Public Office (Accountability) Bill will provide the largest expansion of civil legal aid in a decade by ensuring bereaved families have access to non-means tested legal aid for all inquests where a public authority is an interested person.

The Government also continues to fund the activities of advice charities to bolster the delivery of legal support services – both in person and online - for people experiencing civil justice problems. The Ministry of Justice is providing nearly £20 million of multi-year funding, extending our existing legal support grant programmes for 59 frontline organisations (including a range of services such as some regional Citizens Advice and Law Centres, other community-based advice services, and online information) to September 2026 to help people resolve legal issues, and providing a new grant that will run from October 2026 to March 2029. We are also working with the sector, via the Legal Support Strategy Delivery Group, to drive improvements to the sector.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his department has assessed the extent to which water companies, as statutory undertakers with statutory monopolies, will fall within the scope of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The legal framework for the provision of water and sewage services varies significantly across the UK. In England and Wales, services are delivered by private companies (including not-for-profit organisations), whilst in Scotland and Northern Ireland services are delivered by publicly owned companies. The Bill is drafted so that the duty of candour and offence of misleading the public apply to all water companies when they exercise public functions. The Code of Conduct provisions would apply to the publicly owned water companies in Scotland and Northern Ireland and their workers, but not private companies in England and Wales.

In relation to the Misconduct in Public Office offences at Part 3 of the Bill, Schedule 4 sets out a definitive list of roles which make someone a “public office holder” for the purposes of these offences. Most roles are listed specifically in the Schedule, paragraph 22 is more general. It captures “Other public bodies and offices” who fulfil three criteria: (a) the body or office is established by statute, a Minister, government department, or under the Royal Prerogative; (b) appointments to the office are made by the Crown, a Minister, or government department, or (in the case of a body) appointments to the body are wholly or mainly made in that way; and (c) in that office or body they are exercising functions of a public nature.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her department has had with Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and Natural England regarding the application of the duty of candour to water companies in relation to the duties and offences in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026.

To truly turn around the water sector we need the right people in to do the job. We want the sector to be attractive to high quality senior leaders, acting in the public interest, who can lead change from the top.

To achieve this, the Government committed in the White Paper to consider taking forward a new regime for senior accountability. This would be carefully designed to ensure senior leaders are directly accountable for the service customers receive, whilst still allowing water companies to appoint capable leadership.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will explicitly apply to all universities.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The duty of candour and assistance will apply to any body when exercising public functions. This would capture some aspects of the work of universities and other Higher Education Institutions. The duty also extends to those with a relevant health and safety responsibility; as well as relevant public sector contractors.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to provide an update on progress made in implementing the recommendations of the report from the Statutory Inquiries Committee Public inquiries: Enhancing public trust (HL Paper 9).

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

We are grateful for the work of the House of Lords statutory inquiries committee and its report published in September 2024, to which the government responded in February 2025.

As set out in that response the Cabinet Office will publish The Inquiry Practitioners' Handbook in due course. The Government has also launched a publicly accessible tracker reporting progress on inquiry recommendations and amended the Ministerial Code to ensure Cabinet Office policy expertise informs decisions on establishing a public inquiry and agreeing terms of reference.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill is also progressing in parliament, making non-statutory inquiries much more powerful options.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to carry out inquests.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inquest delays on bereaved families.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquests are currently in progress in England as of 11 March 2026.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners on reducing the length of time for inquests.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for coroner inquests to be completed on bereaved families in England.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Attorney General

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, will fundamentally alter the relationship between those who govern and the people they serve.

The Bill, once passed into law, will introduce substantial changes, including a new professional and legal Duty of Candour for public officials, meaning they must act with honesty and integrity at all times, or be met with criminal sanctions for serious breaches.

This Bill will bring forth the biggest expansion in legal aid in a generation, by making provision for publicly funded legal representation for bereaved families at inquests in which the state is an interested party.

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill includes provisions that would establish a legal duty of candour

Found: Bill 2024–26 Pension Schemes Bill 5 June 202534 Pension Schemes Bill 2024– 25 Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Hillsborough Law

Found: Now

Found: with Anacta Kate Dearden 24/03/2026 Hillsborough Law Now To discuss concerns about the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Broudie Jackson Canter, University of Liverpool, INQUEST To discuss amendments to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: INQUEST

Found: Broudie Jackson Canter, University of Liverpool, INQUEST To discuss amendments to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: INQUEST

Found: Mayor of Liverpool

Found: Lammy 13/01/2026 Mayor of Greater Manchester and Mayor of Liverpool To discuss the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Greater Manchester

Found: 09-02 Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Mayor of Greater Manchester To discuss the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill introduces new duties of candour for public officials and public

Found: Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill (‘the Bill’) will enable bereaved

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill (‘the Bill’) will expand, subject to Parliamentary approval,

Found: Wales 9 Inquests 10 Current legal aid arrangements for inquests 10 Overview of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: There may be read across from the Public Office Accountability Bill.

Found: to provide evidence in the upcoming maternity reviews in Leeds and Sussex, once the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: The UK has recently published the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law

Found: Minimis Self-Certification Form Title of Measure “Duty of Candour” provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Public Office (Accountability) Bill Factsheet: Duty of Candour measures Background The

Found: The Public Office (Accountability) Bill – otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law – introduced to Parliament

Found: In addition, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill - better known as the Hillsborough Law - will embed

Found: Information Systems) Bill • Northern Ireland Troubles Bill • Pension Schemes Bill • Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: focusing on the strategic management of litigation (Litigation Directorate) • the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: to provide evidence in the upcoming maternity reviews in Leeds and Sussex, once the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Following the first round of market engagement around the Public Office (Accountability) Bill in November

Found: introduce the Hillsborough Law to bring forward a duty of candour for public servants [Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: introduce the Hillsborough Law to bring forward a duty of candour for public servants [Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: ................................................................................79 Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: ................................................................................ 79 Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: .............................................................................. 79 Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: There may be read across from the Public Office Accountability Bill.

Found: senedd.wales 18 March 2026 Dear Mike, Following the scrutiny report on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Procurement Bill,247 the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill,248 and the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Procurement Bill,247 the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill,248 and the Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: welcome correspondence in Welsh or English. 6 March 2026 Legislative Consent: Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Found: Background The UK Government’s Public Office (Accountability) Bill 1.

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (No 3) Public Office (Accountability) Bill 1.

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (No 3) Public Office (Accountability) Bill 1.

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (No 3) Public Office (Accountability) Bill 1.

Found: Bill, the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill