King's Speech: Industry Reaction and Comments -

Some feedback after the King’s speech to Parliament, where the Govt set out some legislation targets for the next session;

BROWNE JACOBSON

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill – also known as the Hillsborough Law – introduces a statutory duty of candour for public servants and bodies, requiring them to tell the truth. It applies to all public bodies, including the security services.

Ed Pollard, Partner in public healthcare at Browne Jacobson, said: “The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, also known as the Hillsborough Law, was introduced last year and is being carried out to the next Parliamentary session.

“The Bill introduces important reforms, aimed at strengthening accountability across the public sector. It establishes wide-ranging duties of candour, creates new criminal offences and introduces ‘parity of arms’ measures that will have a material impact on how NHS bodies and local authorities engage with inquiries, inquests and investigations.

“Crucially, the Bill’s reach extends beyond NHS trusts and local authorities. Private healthcare organisations delivering care under a public contract — for example, treating NHS-referred patients — will also fall within scope. Therefore, they too should be reviewing their exposure now rather than waiting for the legislation to pass.

“For NHS trusts and local authorities that regularly participate in inquests, the Bill in its current form would introduce significant formal requirements on processes that may already be governed internally by established organisational policies or ‘standard operating procedures’.

“The introduction of an ‘always on’ duty of candour, a statutory framework governing access to legal representation, and automatic legal aid for bereaved families will necessitate careful review and, where necessary, formalisation of existing practices. At the same time, the Bill’s overarching focus on transparency and openness reflects principles that should already be integral to health and social care delivery.”

ABI COMMENT

ABI Director General Hannah Gurga said: “The King’s Speech sets out a clear and important agenda for the UK’s future, and the introduction of the Enhancing Financial Services Bill is a significant step towards strengthening the UK’s competitiveness and long‑term economic stability. Modernising regulation will be crucial to ensuring financial services continues to be a driving force for economic growth. And with the insurance sector playing a central role in the UK’s resilience, we will bring our expertise to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill as it moves forward.”

LMG

Caroline Wagstaff, CEO of the London Market Group, on the announcement of the Enhancing Financial Services Bill in today’s King’s Speech;

“The LMG has long been clear that what gets measured gets done, so it is encouraging to see the Enhancing Financial Services Bill in today’s King’s Speech, and that a number of our priorities on regulatory accountability may be taken forward.

“It will be important that these reforms support a more proportionate approach to wholesale financial services. The Bill provides an opportunity to introduce clearer timelines for approvals, stronger performance KPIs and longer-term regulatory strategies — all of which would sharpen regulatory focus and delivery.

“We have seen good progress since the Growth and Competitiveness Objective was introduced and these measures would help build on that momentum. We look forward to working with HM Treasury, the PRA and FCA as the detail of the Bill emerges.”

FORBES SOLICITORS

Kella Bowers, Head of Insurance at national law firm Forbes Solicitors, said:

“The Enhancing Financial Services Bill aims to unlock growth by removing administrative burdens and simplifying regulatory compliance. This is welcome news for the insurance sector, but insurers must tread carefully. Growth and opportunity cannot come at the cost of compliance.

“For example, take the proposed changes to The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR), which aim to reduce the overall burden of the regime by 50%. Changes may mean that Appointed Representatives (ARs) assume more responsibility and possible liability for any cases of misconduct and complaints. This doesn’t mean principal firms will be absolved of their duties for the actions of individuals, and insurers may need to ensure they have robust policies and practices in place that clearly outline that ARs act with integrity.”

FORUM OF INSURANCE LAWYERS

Dr Jeffrey Wale, Technical Director at the Forum of Insurance Lawyers, says:

“Following the King’s Speech today, the renewed focus on the Hillsborough Law signals a potentially significant shift in accountability standards across the public sector. The proposed statutory duty of candour would place public authorities under a legal obligation to cooperate fully with inquiries and investigations, fundamentally changing expectations around transparency after major incidents.

The debate around the provision of an exemption for the security services will need to be resolved. The legislation could also lead to greater public scrutiny of how authorities respond after tragedies, particularly in relation to disclosure of information, engagement with affected families and cooperation with official investigations. It now remains to be seen whether the Bill will be given the time and careful attention that it requires before it passes into law. In particular, the proposed offence of misleading the public merits specific attention during the Parliamentary process.”

MARSH

Kelly Butler, CEO Cyber UK, Marsh;

“We welcome the Government bringing forward the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, an important step for national cyber defences. The detail will determine its success: scope, reporting thresholds, supply‑chain rules and timelines all need careful calibration. Government must keep working with industry to ensure rules are proportionate, implementable and supported by clear guidance. We’re ready to help get it right.”