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Independent Public Advocate
01 March 2023
Lead MP
Dominic Raab
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Justice & CourtsNHSHousingEmploymentForeign AffairsStandards & EthicsMental Health
Other Contributors: 20
At a Glance
Dominic Raab raised concerns about independent public advocate in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Justice & CourtsNHSHousingEmploymentForeign AffairsStandards & EthicsMental Health
Government Statement
Today, Dominic Raab announced the introduction of an Independent Public Advocate (IPA) to support victims and bereaved families in major disasters. The IPA will provide practical support, advocate for their rights, and ensure community voices are heard post-disaster. It includes signposting to financial and mental health services, advocacy with public authorities, a register of advocates from diverse backgrounds, full-time staff for swift response, and coordination with devolved Administrations. Raab highlighted reforms such as easier inquest processes and quadrupled funding for victims since 2010. He paid tribute to the Hillsborough families, Grenfell survivors, and Manchester bombing victims for their perseverance.
Steve Reed
Lab Co-op
Streatham and Croydon North
Question
Thanked the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, highlighting the struggle of Hillsborough families for justice over three decades. Criticised the current proposal as not going far enough to prevent future cover-ups, suggesting a fully independent public advocate accountable to victims' families with data controller powers.
Minister reply
Thanked the hon. Gentleman but disagreed on characterisation and independence issues of IPA. Stressed it would be based on consultations with affected families for configuration and that duplicated inquiry powers need to be carefully balanced.
Theresa May
Con
Wycombe
Question
Welcomed the decision to introduce an independent public advocate but raised concerns about victims' rights to initiate IPA independently and the ability of IPA to compel evidence provision.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the right of initiative for families through consultation, while ultimately allowing Government discretion in configurations. Agreed to engage further on details regarding powers of compulsion.
Maria Eagle
Lab
Liverpool Garston
Question
Welcomed the proposal but argued it did not go far enough, lacking independence and data controller status for early access to truth preventing cover-ups.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the power of initiative through consultation process, stressed need to avoid conflicting inquiry powers, while committing to further engagement on detail improvements.
Bob Neill
Con
Bexleyheath and Crayford
Question
I pay tribute to the right hon. Member for Garston and Halewood, a fellow member of the Justice Committee, for her work on this issue and to the former Prime Minister for highlighting the risk of cover-ups by those in authority. While I welcome what the Secretary of State has said, I hope that when engaging on refining these proposals, he looks again at extending legal aid availability as recommended by the Justice Committee.
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend and acknowledge his support for this initiative. This policy will create stronger advocacy for bereaved families and victims with panels of experts. While we understand the point about compulsion of evidence, our aim is to balance competing powers in inquiries while ensuring representation for those affected.
Ian Byrne
Lab
Liverpool West Derby
Question
I welcome the Secretary of State’s acknowledgment that legislation for an independent public advocate is necessary but criticise today's announcement as a weak signposting service rather than a fully independent public advocate. Will he adopt the Bill tabled by my right hon. Friend, which includes specific powers for such an advocate?
Minister reply
I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman and his efforts. The characterisation of this proposal as merely a signposting service is incorrect; it will be a statutory advocate providing support to victims and bereaved families. We will engage further with Members to ensure that we get the balance right, particularly regarding data compulsion.
Edward Timpson
Con
Eddisbury
Question
I join other Members in welcoming today’s statement and recognise the legislative process ahead to strengthen the role of the IPA. Can I ask my right hon. Friend how “survivors” will be defined? Will it simply include those with life-changing injuries or also those who have been mentally affected by a disaster?
Minister reply
We will work closely on defining survivors and ensuring that this is done correctly to guarantee the independence of the IPA from Government influence once established. The advocate will play an essential role in providing answers for victims and bereaved families, regardless of whether an inquiry has been set up.
Dan Carden
Lab
Liverpool Walton
Question
I thank the Secretary of State for coming to the House today and his willingness to legislate. However, nothing less than an independent public advocate acting at the behest of families with specific powers will do. How is he engaging with Members on this issue and how has he engaged with bereaved families ahead of this announcement?
Minister reply
The advocate will be entirely independent once established. I have written to various groups including Hillsborough, Grenfell, and Manchester Arena bombing survivors for advance sight. Engagement includes meetings with Bishop James Jones and offers to meet any family members.
Rob Butler
Con
Aldridge-Brownhills
Question
I warmly welcome this announcement by the Government of the establishment of an independent public advocate, and I pay tribute to the right hon. Member for Garston and Halewood who has worked tirelessly on this issue. Can my right hon. Friend tell us in more detail how he will ensure that the families of the bereaved from the Hillsborough disaster are fully involved in the practicalities of establishing the advocate?
Minister reply
I have offered to meet with the families and their groups regarding not just Hillsborough but Grenfell and Manchester Arena bombing survivors. I am very happy to meet any family members.
Alison McGovern
Lab
Birkenhead
Question
I share my right hon. Friend's view on this issue, wondering if the Secretary of State has read previous debates in Hansard about compelling the Government to release papers on Hillsborough and getting transparency over information. I also ask what he plans to do regarding extending the duty of candour to public servants.
Minister reply
I understand the importance of the duty of candour, which was included in Bishop James Jones' report. The Home Office will publish its response in the spring, covering this issue.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Will my right hon. Friend explain at what point and under what circumstances the availability of the advocate will be triggered? Could it involve inquiries or inquests?
Minister reply
The principle is that the advocate is there for major tragedies. This is a specific institution set up with expertise to deal with such events. It is not meant for smaller incidents like one loss of life but rather significant tragedies.
Derek Twigg
Lab
Widnes and Halewood
Question
As you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, I was at the Hillsborough disaster. Along with my right hon. Friend the Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle), I worked closely with the families, particularly in the lead-up to the decision of the independent panel, so we know quite a bit about the impact on families and what families and victims want. What does “independent” mean? If it is truly independent, it means that Ministers have no role in it whatever.
Minister reply
To be clear, on the right of initiative, there could be different views as to its shape or scope, so that is something the Government will ultimately have the last word on. Frankly, what the hon. Gentleman said about the IPA not being independent is wholly wrong. We ought to be clear that, from the point of establishment in relation to a tragedy, the IPA will be wholly and entirely independent to serve the victims, the bereaved and the survivors, and only them.
Question
A lot of the statement is welcome and will hopefully rebalance the position for families and victims, not least since they have had the unedifying experience of facing phalanxes of lawyers, knowing they were being paid for by their own taxes and by public funds to sometimes cover up the impact on their relatives. However, I do not find myself particularly persuaded on the points made by the Secretary of State around the compulsion of evidence, which strikes me as something that needs to be part of this. In his preparation work, what timeline has he set for this institution being up and ready, pending the legislation coming through the House?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a good point. The policy work is quite far developed, but of course we have not foreclosed options so that we can have maximum transparency and proper engagement. I will need to identify the right legislative vehicle and it will then take as long as the House takes to enact it, but I hope to say more on the legislative vehicle shortly.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
I put it to the Secretary of State that, in the case of the contaminated blood scandal, Governments failed to acknowledge what actually happened for decades, even though thousands of people had been harmed and died. How would this independent public advocate work in circumstances where incidents happen over many years and across many parts of the United Kingdom, and where Governments fail to come clean about the involvement of the state for years and deny that there was a problem? What confidence would victims actually have in a situation where the Government decided whether an independent public advocate was appointed?
Minister reply
We are talking about the final configuration of the IPA, and the immediate consultation will take place with the families and the bereaved. On how it would help in a scenario like that, that is precisely why—with the greatest respect to the right hon. Lady—we went for a panel approach, so that we have a range of experts.
Question
I agree fully with my right hon. Friend when he says getting the detail right is vital in this process. I am pleased with the tone he has taken in his comments about being willing to work with Members from across the House to reach the right settlement for victims and ensure that this process is right for the future. Will he expand more on the panel he is planning? In particular, will victims be fully represented?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right: the point of having a range of expertise on the panels, rather than a single public advocate, is precisely to ensure that there is a range of expertise to deal with the nature of the unfolding tragedy.
Question
I pay tribute to the Hillsborough families and all those affected for their tireless campaigning over decades to establish the truth of what happened and their determination to ensure that other families do not have to suffer the injustices they have been forced to endure. I pay tribute in particular to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) for all their hard work on this matter. The Secretary of State talks about a conflict between the IPA and any inquiry. Surely he must recognise that it is vital that victims and families feel confident that they have a truly independent advocate.
Minister reply
I certainly agree with the thrust of that. The IPA will be fully independent once it is established, with all the powers of advocacy and with the expertise to give voice and expression to the victims and the bereaved.
Kieran Mullan
Con
Bexhill and Battle
Question
I join colleagues in paying tribute to my fellow member of the Justice Committee, the right hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle), for her long campaigning on this issue, which the whole House recognises. I am interested in the issue of legal representation that other Members have raised. How would the IPA interact with that, and what support might be there in accessing legal advice when, as others have said, it may face public bodies with well-funded legal teams that family members will not necessarily have access to?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an important point. In general, inquests should be inquisitorial, fact-checking processes.
Question
For bereaved families to have confidence in an independent public advocate, it needs to be truly independent of Government. That means acting on the directions of families and not the Secretary of State, exercising the powers of a data controller and being empowered to establish independent panels. Will the Justice Secretary commit to meeting with the Hillsborough families with a view to revising his proposals and bringing them in line with what the Hillsborough families have long been calling for?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman. I have already made clear the level of engagement we have had before, and of course I am willing to meet with representatives or directly with the families involved.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
I understand that the Secretary of State could not divulge the detail of today’s announcement to the families who had been campaigning, but does he believe they would recognise the independent advocate he has announced as what they have been campaigning for on behalf of the people they lost?
Minister reply
I hope that they would, particularly as we engage with them on the detail. As I said, it will be fully independent.
Emma Lewell
Lab
South Shields
Question
Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry from South Shields were tragically murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack. Archaic law on terror attacks prevents their parents from registering their precious children’s deaths. Last week they again met Ministers, who this time treated them with contempt, patronised them and insulted them. In that meeting, it became clear that they have been misled by the Government for nearly a year: the law can be changed but the Government simply choose not to change it. Registration is now imminent. The IPA will not help them or other families. How on earth can they believe the Secretary of State when he says that victims and the bereaved are at the heart of his response?
Minister reply
If the hon. Lady looks at what we are doing in the round, I think she will see the steps we are taking.
Shadow Comment
Steve Reed
Shadow Comment
Steve Reed acknowledged the need for an IPA but criticised its inadequacy in preventing future cover-ups. He urged for a fully independent advocate with full data controller powers to prevent such tragedies and ensure transparency, proposing Labour's commitment to establish this in government.
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