Lord Howard of Lympne (Con)

My Lords, I have never been able to find the words to describe the calamitous events that took place at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989. I join with others in expressing, as I have previously done, my deepest sympathy with the families of those who lost their lives on that terrible day. I intervene in this debate to support the principle of the legislation before your Lordships and to explain some of the difficulties that Ministers face when our institutions—institutions in which, for the most part, we take great pride—fail to deliver justice. At the inquest, the coroner—controversially, and wrongly—excluded all evidence into what happened after 3.15 pm on the day of the tragedy, and verdicts of accidental death were returned. The outcome of that inquest was challenged by way of judicial review, but the court upheld the verdict of the inquest and specifically held that the cut-off point imposed by the coroner was not unreasonable. The families of the victims, as we have heard, continued, with incredible and sustained determination, to press for a public inquiry. It was against that background that, as Home Secretary, I replied to an Adjournment debate in the House of Commons on 17 December 1996. The debate was moved by Peter Kilfoyle, the then Member for Liverpool Walton, and he called for a public inquiry. In replying to the debate, I undertook to consider all the evidence to see what could be done, and after the debate I met those family members who had come to London to hear it. I then asked officials in the Home Office to consider just what could be done. That debate was held just a few months before the general election of 1997, and I believe that the work I commissioned led, at least in part, to the decision of my successor, Jack Straw, to ask Lord Justice Stuart-Smith to examine the evidence. Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, very regrettably, came to the conclusion that there was no basis for further investigation. It was not until the Prime Minister, who attended the 20th anniversary of the disaster at Anfield in April 2009, persuaded the then Government to set up the independent panel to examine and publish all relevant information that a public body at last arrived at a conclusion which went some way towards providing justice for the families. I pay tribute to the Prime Minister for his intervention, for which he deserves great credit. I pay tribute also to the then Bishop of Liverpool, who chaired the panel, and to the noble Lord, Lord Wills, for his part in setting it up. We cannot be sure, and should not deceive ourselves, that the existence of a duty of candour would have prevented the dismal aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy, but it might have done, and that is enough for me to support this Bill. Your Lordships have heard the powerful words of my noble friend Lady May and others about the importance of the Independent Public Advocate, and I hope the Minister will take careful note of those powerful words and act on them.