Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has been made on implementing the commitment in the Queen's Speech 2017 to introduce an independent public advocate who will (a) act for bereaved families after a public disaster and (b) support those families at public inquests; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to doing all it can to support bereaved families after a public disaster and to ensure those families are supported during public inquests.

We are continuing to consider the responses to the proposals for an Independent Public Advocate on which we consulted last year and will be publishing our plans for establishing the role in due course.