Government pulls Hillsborough law debate over spy coverage
The draft law aims to create a legal duty for public authorities to co-operate with inquiries and provide truthful information. However, a government amendment would have made cooperation by intelligence officers contingent on approval from the head of their service.
Families affected by Hillsborough argue that MI5 and MI6 officers should fall fully under the law, citing past instances where MI5 provided false information. Initially, the government removed only the amendment from a vote scheduled for Monday, but later scrapped the entire third reading of the bill, the stage before it proceeds to the House of Lords.
A government spokesperson said officials would continue working with all parties to strengthen the legislation “without compromising national security.” The removal of the amendment was welcomed by the Hillsborough Law Now campaign group, which stated it would continue engaging with the government to ensure the law fully applies to the security services.
Named after the Sheffield stadium where a deadly crush occurred in 1989, the proposed law seeks to make public authorities and officials more accountable for failings. The government argued its amendments were intended to balance the new legal duties with the need to protect national security.
Ministers faced the threat of rebellion from Labour MPs, with around 30 backing a proposal from Liverpool MP Ian Byrne to ensure the law applied more comprehensively to intelligence officers.
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