To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is a leak inquiry into the disclosure by Sky News on 17 September 2026 of the No10 policy unit Policy Agenda: May – Autumn documentation.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is a leak inquiry into the disclosure by Sky News on 17 September 2026 of the No10 policy unit Policy Agenda: May – Autumn documentation.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering converting the undercover policing inquiry from a statutory inquiry to a non-statutory inquiry; and if so, what relevance they consider the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to have to that consideration.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering converting the undercover policing inquiry from a statutory inquiry to a non-statutory inquiry; and if so, what relevance they consider the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to have to that consideration.

Lords committee stage first day. Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to. Schedule 1, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 3 to 7 agreed to.

Lords committee stage first day. Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to. Schedule 1, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 3 to 7 agreed to.

Moved by

Lord Young of Acton

1: Clause 1, page 2, line 11, at end insert—

“(3) Subsection (1) sets out the purpose of this Act for the purpose only of interpreting the duties imposed, and offences created, by Parts 2 to 4, and does not of itself—

(a) impose any duty on a...

Moved by

Lord Young of Acton

1: Clause 1, page 2, line 11, at end insert—

“(3) Subsection (1) sets out the purpose of this Act for the purpose only of interpreting the duties imposed, and offences created, by Parts 2 to 4, and does not of itself—

(a) impose any duty on a...

My Lords, I declare my interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. In my short time in your Lordships’ House, I have developed a rule of thumb: when a Bill is brought forward in response to a national outcry over a terrible tragedy, it often goes far beyond...

My Lords, I declare my interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. In my short time in your Lordships’ House, I have developed a rule of thumb: when a Bill is brought forward in response to a national outcry over a terrible tragedy, it often goes far beyond...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Young of Acton, for his introduction to his amendment. I think I am probably not alone in being slightly surprised by his interpretation of what the effect of the Bill might be. My reading of the Bill is that, where somebody is...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Young of Acton, for his introduction to his amendment. I think I am probably not alone in being slightly surprised by his interpretation of what the effect of the Bill might be. My reading of the Bill is that, where somebody is...

My Lords, as we begin Committee on this important and complex Bill, I say briefly, if I may, that I look forward to working with the Minister, who has already taken great care to engage with the Official Opposition and noble Lords across the Chamber. I hope that that constructive...

My Lords, as we begin Committee on this important and complex Bill, I say briefly, if I may, that I look forward to working with the Minister, who has already taken great care to engage with the Official Opposition and noble Lords across the Chamber. I hope that that constructive...

My Lords, I join with the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, in thanking all noble Lords who have worked with me over the Recess on the Bill. We can see from the number of amendments, and the careful way they have been set out, that noble Lords...

My Lords, I join with the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, in thanking all noble Lords who have worked with me over the Recess on the Bill. We can see from the number of amendments, and the careful way they have been set out, that noble Lords...

I thank the Minister for giving way. Can he just explicitly assure the House that nothing in Clause 1 qualifies the Civil Service Code?

4 pm

I thank the Minister for giving way. Can he just explicitly assure the House that nothing in Clause 1 qualifies the Civil Service Code?

4 pm

I am sure the noble Lord will understand that I do not want to do that without getting some advice from my officials, but I will certainly come back to him on it. The Civil Service Code and

the Ministerial Code are very specific things. The purpose clause does not...

I am sure the noble Lord will understand that I do not want to do that without getting some advice from my officials, but I will certainly come back to him on it. The Civil Service Code and

the Ministerial Code are very specific things. The purpose clause does not...

I thank the Minister for his answer and the contributions to the debate. I await further assurances. Assuming they are given, I will not raise this again. In the meantime, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

I thank the Minister for his answer and the contributions to the debate. I await further assurances. Assuming they are given, I will not raise this again. In the meantime, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

Moved by

Baroness Kramer

2: Clause 2, page 2, line 20, after “(4)” insert “, (4A)”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on Baroness Kramer’s amendment at page 2, line 39, and includes the new duty within the duty of candour and assistance.

Moved by

Baroness Kramer

2: Clause 2, page 2, line 20, after “(4)” insert “, (4A)”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on Baroness Kramer’s amendment at page 2, line 39, and includes the new duty within the duty of candour and assistance.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for holding a meeting for Peers at large, which I was able to attend. I acknowledge all the advice I have received from WhistleblowersUK, Blind Justice UK, Hillsborough Law Now and Protect.

This group of amendments tackles a crucial weakness in the Bill. Put very...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for holding a meeting for Peers at large, which I was able to attend. I acknowledge all the advice I have received from WhistleblowersUK, Blind Justice UK, Hillsborough Law Now and Protect.

This group of amendments tackles a crucial weakness in the Bill. Put very...

My Lords, Amendment 50 is in my name and that of my noble friend Lady Brinton. Its purpose is simple: when a public authority receives credible information that something seriously wrong is happening, it should have a duty to do something about it. That may sound obvious, but we know...

My Lords, Amendment 50 is in my name and that of my noble friend Lady Brinton. Its purpose is simple: when a public authority receives credible information that something seriously wrong is happening, it should have a duty to do something about it. That may sound obvious, but we know...

My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group, which is unusual. I will not list them all in the interest of avoiding tedium. Over the years, I have met and listened to harrowing tales from many whistleblowers. Our current legal provisions to protect them and to ensure action...

My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group, which is unusual. I will not list them all in the interest of avoiding tedium. Over the years, I have met and listened to harrowing tales from many whistleblowers. Our current legal provisions to protect them and to ensure action...

My Lords, before I speak to the amendments in my name, I extend my thanks to my noble friend the Minister for his openness and willingness to engage with all parts of the House as the Bill progresses through it. We are all very grateful to him. I associate myself...

My Lords, before I speak to the amendments in my name, I extend my thanks to my noble friend the Minister for his openness and willingness to engage with all parts of the House as the Bill progresses through it. We are all very grateful to him. I associate myself...

My Lords, at Second Reading, I pointed out that the various failures that we have suffered in recent years—I will not recite them yet again—have happened notwithstanding the fact that we have had codes of conduct in place. The Civil Service Code, the Ministerial Code and the much talked about...

My Lords, at Second Reading, I pointed out that the various failures that we have suffered in recent years—I will not recite them yet again—have happened notwithstanding the fact that we have had codes of conduct in place. The Civil Service Code, the Ministerial Code and the much talked about...

My Lords, we have a very large number of amendments in front of us today, most of them from my noble friend Lady Kramer, who makes a strong case to include whistleblowing in detail in this Bill. I am very pleased to hear from the Minister that there is a...

My Lords, we have a very large number of amendments in front of us today, most of them from my noble friend Lady Kramer, who makes a strong case to include whistleblowing in detail in this Bill. I am very pleased to hear from the Minister that there is a...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, for leading this group. I know many of her amendments on whistleblowing bear similarities to those proposed

by her on other matters in the last Session; in particular, she has previously proposed an office for the whistleblower, with, I...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, for leading this group. I know many of her amendments on whistleblowing bear similarities to those proposed

by her on other matters in the last Session; in particular, she has previously proposed an office for the whistleblower, with, I...

My Lords, this has been an important and somewhat constrained debate—I thought we would be discussing it for a little longer—as well as being a very informative debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, with whom I have worked on these issues very constructively in previous pieces of legislation....

My Lords, this has been an important and somewhat constrained debate—I thought we would be discussing it for a little longer—as well as being a very informative debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, with whom I have worked on these issues very constructively in previous pieces of legislation....