Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
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 - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
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.