Overview

• Solicitor general Lucy Rigby told MPs the draft will impose a statutory duty of candour on public servants with criminal sanctions for breaches.
• She said the government hopes to introduce the bill to Parliament very soon, alongside measures to address the disparity between the state and bereaved families at inquests.
• Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones reaffirmed an ironclad commitment to legislate and to provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths.
• Campaigners and several MPs warned against any dilution and pressed for families to see the text in advance, noting a previously pulled draft that lacked a binding duty and raised scope concerns.
• With Labour’s conference in Liverpool on September 28 approaching, John McDonnell and Liverpool MPs cautioned the party over a hostile reception if the issue is not resolved.