Why would the government have known the truth about this i don't know how it works but i assume the government would have asked south yorkshire police to give them a report and probably would have taken that at face value. As we now know the police in this instance were working very hard to coverup their own failings in this incident so i doubt they would give out one story publicly and then tell the government another. Also and i don't know for sure but Derek may clarify on this (sorry Derek your the only police officer i know on this forum nothing personal
) the government wouldn't go along with such a big police coverup because of how this could affect future convictions by the officers involved seems to me that any case those officers were involved in after this incident could be tarnished by having officers that perverted the course of justice.
I'm not saying for 100% the government didn't know and would welcome anything that shows they did know (not rumour or hearsay something credible) but i just cannot get my head round that big a conspiracy but then i wouldn't have said as many police as did would be involved in something and would have been wrong about that.