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Public Office (Accountability) Bill
Public Office (Accountability) Bill has completed 2nd reading on 1 Sep 2026 in the House of Lords. Parliament currently lists Committee stage as its current stage.
Current position
- Latest completed stage
- 2nd reading1 Sep 2026
- Current stage
- Committee stage
- House
- House of Lords
- Bill type
- Government Bill
- Last updated
- 16 Sep 2026
- Proposer / sponsor
- Mr David Lammy Proposer / sponsor · Labour · House of Commons
Parliamentary Calendar
Next scheduled stage
· House of Lords
Further scheduled dates
- · Committee stage · House of Lords
- · Committee stage · House of Lords
Future parliamentary business can change at short notice.
View in Parliamentary CalendarWhat this bill is about
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill would create duties for public authorities and public officials to act with “candour, transparency and frankness” when dealing with specified inquiries and investigations. It would also require public authorities to promote ethical conduct through measures such as codes of ethical conduct, and it would create criminal offences relating to misleading the public and certain misconduct in public office. The Bill also aims to improve how affected people can participate in inquiries and investigations where a public authority’s conduct is in issue, including provision around legal representation and legal aid in some cases.
What it would do
- Impose a duty of candour and assistance on public authorities and public officials in their dealings with specified inquiries and investigations.
- Require public authorities to promote ethical conduct within the organisation, including adopting a code of ethical conduct.
- Create criminal offences for misleading the public and for specified misconduct by people holding public office.
- Make provision to enable affected persons to participate in inquiries and investigations where public authority conduct is in issue, including bereaved family representation/legal aid elements.
Bill journey
Matched Commons vote groups are shown inside the relevant stage where the stored dates allow a match.
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1st reading 16 Sep 2025 · House of Commons
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2nd reading 3 Nov 2025 · House of Commons
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Money resolution 3 Nov 2025 · House of Commons
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Programme motion 3 Nov 2025 · House of Commons
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Committee stage 4 Dec 2025 · House of Commons
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Carry-over motion 27 Apr 2026 · House of Commons
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Bill reintroduced 14 May 2026 · House of Commons
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3rd reading 14 Jul 2026 · House of Commons3 divisions
1 matched vote group 3 Commons divisions
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage
3 Commons divisionsMPs held three Report Stage votes on proposals covering safe disclosure to inquiries, safeguards for security and intelligence information, and Attorney General consent for prosecutions under the proposed offence of misleading the public.
Linked division records- Amendment 3 — safe disclosure to inquiries 14 July 2026 at 17:27 · Motion negatived
- Amendment 199 — security and intelligence disclosures 14 July 2026 at 17:41 · Motion negatived
- Amendment 19 — Attorney General consent for prosecutions 14 July 2026 at 17:57 · Motion negatived
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Carry-over motion 14 Jul 2026 · House of Commons
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Report stage 14 Jul 2026 · House of Commons
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1st reading 16 Jul 2026 · House of Lords
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2nd reading 1 Sep 2026 · House of Lords
Related daily summaries
Published daily summaries where this bill appears in the day’s parliamentary or government business.