Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether she is taking steps to implement the recommendations of the report of the Right Reverend James Jones The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power, HC 511, published in January 2017, on equality of arms at inquests and the statutory duty of candour; and if she will make a statement.

The points of learning made by Bishop James Jones in his report span a number of departments and organisations and the Home Office is coordinating the Government’s overarching response to it.

Whilst the timing of the Government’s response has been impacted by the need to avoid risk of prejudice during the Hillsborough criminal proceedings, work has been underway within the relevant departments and organisations to carefully consider and address those points of learning directed at the Government.

As with all of the points of learning in the Bishop’s report, the Government will address the points of learning related to equality of arms at inquests and the duty of candour, as part of the full response.

The Home Secretary is committed to engaging with the Hillsborough families prior to publication of the Government’s full response in due course.