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Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: Report
22 May 2023
Lead MP
Suella Braverman
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
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Other Contributors: 20
At a Glance
Suella Braverman raised concerns about independent inquiry into child sexual abuse: report in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Government Statement
The Minister of State for Justice, Suella Braverman, made a statement about the Government’s response to the final report by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. The report revealed widespread and institutional failures in protecting children from sexual abuse over decades. She thanked more than 6,000 victims who shared their testimonies and promised that their courage would count towards bringing change. Braverman highlighted the Government's acceptance of 19 out of 20 recommendations, including introducing a new mandatory reporting duty across England to address systemic under-reporting and launching a call for evidence on this matter. A redress scheme was also proposed for victims of historical child sexual abuse. The Minister pledged to continue engaging with survivors and organisations like Professor Jay's team to ensure confidence in the delivery of reforms. She emphasised that her response is just the beginning, and further consultation will be held. Additionally, she announced plans to improve therapeutic support through a new Victims and Prisoners Bill which would introduce a statutory duty on local partners to work together when commissioning services for victims of sexual violence.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
The hon. Member asked for a mandatory reporting system to be introduced in April. Why is it only now that the Home Secretary is consulting? Will victims and survivors receive justice, support, and redress as soon as possible?
Minister reply
To ensure we design this new duty properly, the Government are launching a call for evidence so that victims, survivors, charities, professionals and others who work in safeguarding can share their views on what would best prevent child sexual abuse. We will continue to engage with stakeholders and Professor Jay's team to maintain confidence in our delivery.
Sadiq Khan
Lab
Tottenham
Question
The Home Secretary has been very clear about the need for a redress scheme, but many have asked what it will entail. What more can she say today about how victims and survivors can receive justice?
Minister reply
Our response to the inquiry’s recommendation on the redress scheme will be published in full shortly. It sets out our commitment to develop a robust scheme to ensure that all those who experienced historical child sexual abuse get proper recognition of their suffering, support and redress.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
The inquiry’s recommendation on statutory reporting of child sexual abuse was accepted in April. Why is the Home Secretary still consulting?
Minister reply
We need to get this right and ensure that we have a robust new duty which will prevent abuse, protect children and support victims.
Sandra McVeigh
SNP
Dunbartonshire East
Question
Despite the Home Secretary’s statement, there are still concerns about the redress scheme. Is she sure it will be comprehensive enough?
Minister reply
We have published a full response to the inquiry’s recommendations on redress. The Government are committed to delivering this important recommendation and ensuring that victims and survivors get justice.
Gareth Davies
Con
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Question
The Home Secretary mentioned that 19 out of the inquiry’s recommendations have been accepted. Why was one rejected?
Minister reply
I will not discuss particular recommendations in this statement but we are working closely with victims, survivors and experts to design a scheme which is right for all those involved.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Question
The MP welcomed the redress scheme but criticised the overall response as inadequate. She highlighted that the report called for guaranteed therapeutic support, yet all the statement said was to elicit views on it. Labour had previously called for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse nearly a decade ago; however, today’s announcement is just opening a call for evidence. The response to online sexual abuse was deemed weak.
Minister reply
The Home Secretary thanked Yvette Cooper and acknowledged the seriousness of the topic. She stated that time needs to be taken to thoroughly consider the recommendations from Professor Jay's report to ensure effective reform, despite its importance. 19 out of 20 recommendations have been accepted, and there is a commitment to closely monitor police force data on child sexual abuse.
Question
The MP asked for more detail about the Government’s response to the recommendations in the report concerning the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), including those regarding overseas work with children and extending use of the barred list.
Minister reply
The Home Secretary said that several recommendations relate to registration, such as registering care staff in residential care and staff in young offender institutions. The Government is exploring proposals on how to operate these systems and are looking at recommendations for expanding the barred list and informing DBS about individuals who might pose a risk.
Sarah Champion
Lab
Rotherham
Question
The MP inquired about the lack of funding and concrete action from the Government since IICSA’s report was commissioned seven years ago. She questioned where the funding is for implementing recommendations and asked what specific recommendation the Home Secretary does not accept.
Minister reply
The minister stated that the government has been transparent and responsive to the inquiry's demands, rejecting accusations of inaction. The Government accepted the redress scheme as a significant commitment, aimed at providing appropriate support for victims based on their unique experiences.
Question
The MP highlighted the rapid pace of technological change and asked how the Home Secretary plans to ensure her department keeps up with it in terms of protecting children online.
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged the challenge posed by technology, stating that their Online Safety Bill is designed to keep pace with developments. She also mentioned working closely with agencies like NCA and GCHQ to identify new challenges presented by AI.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
The MP questioned the need for a proper statutory definition of child criminal exploitation, given that girls who report being sexually exploited are often treated as gang members rather than victims.
Minister reply
The minister stated that they have introduced new duties on local commissioners to commission sexual violence services according to need and will continue to work on ensuring police and crime commissioners can respond effectively to such issues.
Question
The MP thanked the Home Secretary for her statement and asked if she agrees with a proposed Bill that would ensure those who enabled, facilitated or ignored child sexual abuse could not hold positions of authority.
Minister reply
The minister expressed appreciation for his advocacy work and mentioned introducing the duty to report as a key recommendation, aiming to foster cultural change within institutions.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Question
The MP inquired if the Government would accept the inquiry’s recommendation to amend the Children Act 1989 so that courts can intervene when local councils fail in their parental responsibilities.
Minister reply
The minister stated that they are exploring ways to empower children in care, including through national safeguarding review panels.
Question
The MP welcomed the Home Secretary's statement and questioned how she plans to achieve a change in behaviour across the criminal justice system. She also asked about ensuring that lifetime therapeutic support for victims is delivered.
Minister reply
The minister committed to being held accountable for delivering on her words, emphasising the importance of mandatory reporting and training to bring about cultural change. The Home Office has funded over £4.5 million to charities providing support for victims.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
It is estimated that just one in five child victims report to the police, but in my experience in local government, young people who were disclosing that they were being abused needed an independent advocate and an independent voice to go to, so that they would be listened to and treated with sympathy. It is not necessarily reporting to the police that is required, so what can the Home Secretary say about what she is doing to open up those avenues, so that people can report with confidence that they will be listened to?
Minister reply
The issue that the hon. Gentleman raises is precisely the reason why I am a passionate supporter of independent sexual violence advisers, as well as independent domestic violence advisers: they are also relevant for children who are victims of sexual violence. We have already increased the number of ISVAs available to victims of sexual violence, including children, so that when someone makes a complaint and enters the criminal justice system, they will have an independent professional who is on their side to help them navigate a very traumatic and daunting process, who can provide clarity and the vital support that can make the difference between a successful prosecution and an unsuccessful one.
Question
I have previously declared an interest, because I was counsel to the inquiry from 2016 to 2017. Given that the inquiry looked at cases that were often decades old, there is a risk that we see its conclusions as belonging to the past, rather than the present... Can I therefore ask the Home Secretary what reassurances she can give that the Online Safety Bill really will protect children from viewing this kind of content? Rather more boldly, could I ask her whether she would consider working with her counterparts at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to regulate the content of some of the big porn providers such as Pornhub, which we know through a body of evidence hosts and promotes child sexual exploitation in some of its online content?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend speaks with expertise, and she raises a very important point with which I agree: the ubiquity, as she puts it, of online pornography and its accessibility by children is a major factor in the incidence of criminal behaviour of this type... Through the Bill, companies will need to take a robust approach to protect children from illegal content and criminal behaviour on their services. They will also need to assess whether their service is likely to be accessed by children and, if so, deliver safety measures for them.
Ruth Jones
Lab
Newport West and Islwyn
Question
As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on safeguarding in faith communities, may I thank the Safeguarding Minister, the hon. Member for Derbyshire Dales (Miss Dines), for her letter to our group written on 12 May? We appreciate that there are many recommendation in the inquiry’s final report, and they need careful consideration, but given the years of historical abuse and the years of inquiry, may I urge the Home Secretary to do all that she can to ensure that these wrongs are righted and that we see action, not more consultation, for the victims and survivors, and as quickly as possible?
Minister reply
I want to move as quickly as possible as well, and I want to get it right... We need to ensure that the right criteria are established, that the process is robust and fair, and that ultimately the victims and survivors get the redress, the justice and the closure that they seek.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
Question
I welcome today’s statement, and I put on record my thanks to all those who helped influence the report, particularly the victims of child sexual exploitation. One of the things that definitely came across was a lack of trust and the disappearance of trust in the very organisations that should be there to protect the most vulnerable in society... That is why I want to see a full Rotherham-style inquiry into child sexual exploitation across the Bradford district, so that we can get to grips with some of the complexities at a local level. Will the Home Secretary give a commitment to work with all Departments on this issue? We need a whole of Government approach involving not only the Department for Education but the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities...
Minister reply
My hon. Friend speaks powerfully, and I pay tribute to him for all his campaigning on behalf of his constituents on this very serious issue... The mandatory duty seeks to address professionals not taking action by placing a legal obligation on professionals to identify signs and indicators of child sexual abuse, and by providing them with the right training so that they have the know-how to deal with these delicate but devastating matters.
Toby Perkins
Lab
Chesterfield
Question
The recent appalling court case on the murder of Finley Boden, which led to the conviction of his parents for murder, exposed serious questions about the social work practised at Derbyshire social services and indeed the actions taken by the court... Can the Home Secretary tell us what specific proposed functions of the child protection agency she believes will be better delivered by the Department for Education’s implementation strategy? Why does she believe that approach is better than the creation of a child protection authority, as recommended in this report?
Minister reply
May I put on record my sympathies to the family of the hon. Gentleman’s constituents... We are confident that those reforms will deliver the intention behind the inquiry’s recommendation for a new child protection authority.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
Can I put on record my tribute to my constituents who gave evidence to IICSA? They relived their trauma so that changes can be made in future and they are among the most courageous people I know... One of the recommendations from IICSA’s final report is for the introduction of arrangements for the registration of staff working in care roles in children’s homes, including secure children’s homes. This is an obvious practical recommendation that would make a material difference to the safety of children living in local authority care... Can I ask the Home Secretary why she waited five years to act and can she update the House on the timescale for implementing this very important recommendation?
Minister reply
We accept the meaning and significance of recommendation 7, to which the hon. Member refers, on the registration of staff working in care roles in children’s homes... We are backing them with investment and reform.
Shadow Comment
Yvette Cooper
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, welcomed the Government’s acceptance of a redress scheme but criticised the lack of detailed action plans in other areas. She pointed out that while the Minister agreed to act on 19 recommendations, many lacked concrete measures and timelines. For instance, the inquiry called for guaranteed specialist therapeutic support, yet the statement only mentioned eliciting views. Cooper also highlighted inadequacies in current policing responses and the increasing number of web pages containing category A material. She criticised the weak response towards online abuse and questioned why mandatory reporting wasn't included in the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Overall, she expressed concern over the delayed action and requested more detailed information on next steps.
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