Public Advocate Bill [HL]

Key Points

• Creates a Public Advocate to advise representatives of the deceased after major incidents and to act as data controller for related data.
• Outlines the Advocate’s duties, including guidance on rights, processes, and how data should be handled in the wake of major incidents.
• Sets up governance, appointment, funding, and accountability arrangements for the Advocate.
• Defines how the Advocate would interact with other bodies such as the police, coroners, and health services in the aftermath of incidents.
• Includes data protection considerations to ensure compliance with applicable laws when handling data about the deceased and their representatives.

Progress

The bill is currently at Second Reading in the House of Lords. It will move on to Committee stage in the Lords for detailed scrutiny before proceeding to the next stages.