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Lord Wills (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 12 October 2026

Debate

Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Contribution

My Lords, Amendment 23 in my name seeks to remedy a long-standing gap in the state’s undertakings to provide transparency in what it does. I declare an interest as the unpaid chair of the Campaign for Freedom of Information. Successive Governments, including the one in which I was the Minister responsible for, among other things, freedom of information, failed to remedy the anomaly through which private sector companies carrying out work for the public sector, paid for by taxpayers, are not covered by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and thereby avoid the obligations of transparency towards those taxpayers who pay for them. This amendment follows the logic of this Bill and would extend the duty of candour to such private sector companies and increase the transparency which this Bill so fundamentally seeks to secure. I hope my noble friend will seize this opportunity to rectify this anomaly.

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