Tackling Child Sexual Abuse 2025-04-08

The shadow minister questions why the Government has not followed through on its promise to conduct local inquiries into rape gangs. She inquires about delays and asks why independent voices are no longer leading these investigations, instead being replaced by government-led frameworks. She also raises concerns about the opt-in approach for allocating funding and mentions that some areas see no need for an inquiry.

The hon. Member for Birmingham Yardley expressed concern that the debate focused narrowly on victims of grooming gangs, overlooking other forms of child abuse. She acknowledged the urgency but criticised former ministers and shadow ministers for not taking action during their tenure. She praised the government's published action plan as systematic and detailed.

The hon. Member for Rochdale welcomed the creation of a new child protection authority and an increase in funding to help survivors and victims. He highlighted the need for specific criminal offences against grooming and praised the government's decision to make it an aggravating factor in sentencing.

The hon. Member for Frome and East Somerset thanked the Minister for her statement and progress update, welcoming steps taken by the Government but calling for full implementation of all recommendations from Professor Alexis Jay's report on child sexual abuse. She emphasised the need for a national oversight mechanism to monitor the Jay review’s recommendations.

Welcomed the Minister's announcement to lift the three-year limitation period for abuse cases. Raised concerns about how the Child Protection Authority will work in practice, including funding and timing issues.

Agreed with the need for survivors' voices to be central in the establishment of the CPA. Announced extra funding for analytical resources and ongoing consultation with experts. Rejected claims that Bradford would not access necessary funds.

Critiqued the Government's failure to launch local rape gang inquiries before Easter. Highlighted longstanding denial and cover-up by Bradford council in his constituency, demanding a full inquiry.

Welcomed progress but questioned the threshold for mandatory reporting, suggesting it may be too high. Asked about reviewing the impact of the measure to strengthen it if necessary.

Acknowledged his role in the Bill that paid out £100 million to survivors in Northern Ireland. Urged the Minister to push for honest apologies from institutions, highlighting recent poor examples.

Welcomed commitment to mandatory reporting but sought more details on training and local victim panel resourcing.

Welcomed the child protection authority but criticised Conservatives for vilifying Muslims. Urged the Minister to strengthen online safety regulation as per Professor Jay's recommendations.

Emphasised putting victims first, welcomed statement on supporting police investigations and arrests made by the Grooming Gang Taskforce. Asked for details on new measures to protect children from sexual abuse.

Paid tribute to child sexual abuse specialist prosecutors, questioned whether sufficient resources reach those prosecutors given the complex nature of evidence involved in such cases.

Timothy expressed anger at the lack of progress on inquiring into rape gangs and criticised the Minister for not answering questions from shadow ministers. He asked why a specialist unit was not being set up to investigate corrupt individuals who facilitated abuse.

Arthur thanked the Minister for her statement but highlighted that the previous government did nothing despite recommendations from the Jay inquiry. He questioned why it took ten years to implement mandatory reporting and what could be gained in future.

Munt welcomed the Minister's statement but suggested criminalising those who coerce people into not reporting abuse. She also proposed amendments to cover religious institutions and faith-based organisations under mandatory reporting.

Johnson criticised the Minister for limiting inquiries to five areas and suggested that this approach could incentivise cover-up. She asked why the minister was not pushing harder for more comprehensive investigations.

Lockhart emphasised the need for severe sentencing for perpetrators of child sexual abuse, reflecting the lifelong trauma inflicted on victims. She praised the Minister’s efforts to improve therapeutic support services.

Voaden welcomed progress in implementing recommendations from the Jay review but criticised Conservative opposition for refusing to acknowledge government action. She highlighted funding cuts faced by victim support organisations and asked about steps being taken to ensure timely access to services.

We will set out the commissioning for a new service across England and Wales for independent child trafficking guardians. British children who are groomed can access support through this system. The government recognises that improvements are needed in children’s sexual violence therapeutic support, especially considering the recommendations of IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse).

The hon. Member thanks the Minister for her commitment to justice for victims. There is a significant increase in sexual offences recorded in Northern Ireland, with 4,232 incidents reported between April 2022 and March 2023, up by 4.7% from the previous year. The protection of children must be prioritised. The Member seeks discussions with the Northern Ireland Assembly to ensure that support is available for addressing these alarming figures.

The hon. Member agrees on the importance of addressing the lack of data and improving data collection. She visited Northern Ireland recently, specifically focusing on work done by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to tackle online child sex abuse through undercover actions. The member acknowledges the determination in Northern Ireland's Executive and commits to working with them extensively.