Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Alison McGovern Excerpts
Tuesday 16th October 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Helen Jones Portrait Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)
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3. What recent steps he has taken to ensure that the Hillsborough families receive justice.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
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4. What recent steps he has taken to ensure that the Hillsborough families receive justice.

Lord Hanson of Flint Portrait Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)
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8. What assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Hillsborough independent panel.

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Dominic Grieve Portrait The Attorney-General
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I am satisfied that there will be sufficient resources to take this forward. The venue of any eventual hearing is not really a matter for me. Should—I stress this for the House—the application that I make to the Court be successful, it will be for the Court and the coroner to decide where the inquests take place. I am sure that representations can then be made in respect of that, but it is not my decision.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern
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I thank the Attorney-General for his very important statement; he will know what a hugely important day this is for Merseyside and the many people around the world who care about putting right the injustice of Hillsborough. Will he meet a delegation of Members of Parliament, with the families, so that we can talk about some of the complexities of what he has announced today?

Dominic Grieve Portrait The Attorney-General
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I am always happy to see Members of Parliament. As for meeting with delegations, the hon. Lady will appreciate that one feature of my work is that I must take it independently. If there is a good reason for meeting people, I am certainly always happy to do so, but she will appreciate that I have already undertaken to consult representatives of the families. We will do that as a formal process, and I would obviously wish to avoid something that does not appear sufficiently structured.