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Hillsborough Law changes bid scrapped

The government has pulled its planned amendment to the Hillsborough Law.

Draft legislation on the bill which will make public authorities accountable to the public in inquiries was originally due to be brought before Parliament last week.

But the process was pushed back due to concerns raised by campaigners that the measures would not allow scrutiny of those working in security services such as MI5.

Whitehall chiefs would have left any information disclosed subject to the approval of the respective heads of service, potentially opening up the risk of key omissions.

A number of Labour MPs were preparing to vote against their party on the bill as it did not have the backing of the bereaved families whose legacy it sought to protect.

However a government spokesperson confirmed on Sunday (January 18) that the bill will complete its remaining stages on Monday as planned without amendments.

They said: “This legislation will right the wrongs of the past, changing the balance of power to ensure the state can never hide from the people it should serve and putting a legal duty on officials to respond openly and honestly when things go wrong.

“The Bill will make the police, intelligence agencies and the whole of government more scrutinised than they have ever been, but we can never compromise on national security.

“We will continue to work with all parties to make sure the Bill is the strongest it can possibly be, without compromising national security.”