Dominic Raab has offered to meet Hillsborough families following strong criticism of the government for not responding to a report on their experiences.

The justice secretary told families of the 97 victims the government would be establishing an Independent Public Advocate (IPA) to support those affected by major disasters.

The government has been urged to introduce a Hillsborough Law and directly respond to the 2017 report, which was carried out by former Bishop of Liverpool the Rt Revd James Jones.

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Despite 25 recommendations in the report, the government has not produced any official response in more than five years.

In the letter, seen by the PA news agency, Mr Raab said: “I am sorry that the processes and systems that were meant to support victims only served to compound your pain and suffering.

“That should never have happened, and we will continue to learn the lessons from that terrible experience following the unlawful killing of 97 innocent men, women and children.”

Mr Raab said the IPA would support those injured in major incidents and families and friends of those who died, signposting them to appropriate services and advocating on their behalf to public authorities.

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He added: “I am sorry it has taken so long to get to this point, and I am determined to set up the IPA as soon as possible.”

Elkan Abrahamson, director of Hillsborough Law Now and a solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, said engagement from the current government with Hillsborough families had been “almost non-existent”.

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“We will be asking the justice secretary for the same commitment given to us by the Labour Party last year to reintroduce the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill,” he said.

The 97 football fans died as a result of a crush at an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough in Sheffield on 15 April 1989.

They were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors, an inquest jury ruled in 2016.

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