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Lord Lemos (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 12 October 2026

Debate

Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Contribution

I thank my noble friend for that. The Government’s concern is that we do not want to duplicate or confuse existing investigative routes, but I entirely accept my noble friend’s point about deployment; the noble Lord, Lord Alton, made the same point. I will come back to that point in a moment, if I may. The Independent Public Advocate already has powers to engage with victims, understand and communicate their concerns, and ensure that their interests are represented to relevant authorities throughout the aftermath of a major incident. The IPA already has a statutory responsibility to advise Ministers on the interests of victims and has the power to publish reports on matters arising from major incidents. A number of noble Lords asked how, as it were, she can make her voice heard once she has heard from the families and the victims. We believe those powers already exist in the existing framework. We believe that the existing arrangements provide the standing advocate with flexibility to carry out those functions without requiring an additional provision in the Bill. Turning to the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee—

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