THE government rejected a Labour MP’s proposal tody for the appointment of an independent advocate to represent those left bereaved by disasters and the survivors.

Justice Minister Tom Pursglove said the government was “actively considering” the idea of establishing an independent public advocate, but that it did not consider the “specific” proposals in the Bill to be the best way to go about it.

Labour MP Maria Eagle put forward her proposals in a private member’s Bill in the House of Commons, saying that there was a need to learn the lessons from the aftermath of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and ensure that the experience of the bereaved was not repeated.

She said the plans would create a publicly funded role to provide independent representation in the aftermath of public disasters if the bereaved and survivors requested it.

Challenged on when the government would respond to a 2018 consultation on the idea, Mr Pursglove could not say, despite a previous commitment to respond by the end of last year.

Ms Eagle has previously put the proposals included in her Public Advocate (No 2) Bill to the Commons and the government’s commitment to respond to the consultation by the end of last year followed her proposals receiving support from Conservative former prime minister Theresa May, who called for “urgency” in establishing the post.

The second reading debate on Ms Eagle’s Bill was adjourned after reaching the end of the allocated time for debate in today’s sitting.

The Merseyside MP requested that the debate continue on September 9, but the legislation is unlikely to receive further parliamentary time.

Outlining her proposals, Ms Eagle said: “Public authorities must be made to tell the truth. They must be prevented from using all the public money at their disposal to prevent the truth from coming out.

“Families must be at the heart of subsequent investigations. They must have a collective voice.

“They must have agency and the capacity to act to get to the truth much sooner than the Hillsborough families were able to.

“It would give families agency by putting them at the heart of the response to public disasters through the establishment of the independent public advocate, who, if the bereaved families wish it and only then, will act as a representative for their interests.”