Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a statutory duty of candour on (a) military intelligence and (b) Special Forces.

The Bill will apply to all public authorities, including military intelligence and the Special Forces.

We have worked closely with representatives across Government on the policy in this Bill – including the impact that a duty of candour would have on military intelligence and Special Forces.

We are clear that the duty of candour applies to all public authorities, including intelligence services, however, the duty of candour and processes for disclosure may need to apply in a different way to ensure that secure information is handled correctly.

We are clear that nothing should undermine our national security.

We are continuing to work closely across government with families, stakeholders and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee to bring forward amendments that meet those aims. We will update the House in due course.