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Child Sexual Offender Data
01 June 2026
Lead MP
Jamie Stone
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Lib Dem
Responding Minister
Natalie Fleet
Tags
Standards & Ethics
Word Count: 19562
Other Contributors: 35
At a Glance
Jamie Stone raised concerns about child sexual offender data in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Stone asks for a clear legal duty to be imposed on relevant authorities to consistently record and publish offender data regarding nationality, ethnicity, immigration status, and religion of child sexual offenders. He stresses that the data should not only be collected but also standardised for full transparency and accountability.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Jamie Stone is concerned about the insufficient collection and publication of data on child sexual offenders. He notes that with more than 200,000 signatures, this petition has engaged a significant number of people across the country. Stone highlights that there are at least 500,000 children in England and Wales who experience child sexual abuse every year. He emphasises the importance of focusing on identifying and preventing abuse rather than merely documenting its aftermath.
Adam Dance
Con
Yeovil
Young constituents in Yeovil reported historical cases of sexual abuse but faced delays and poor communication from the police, leading to stress and failed prosecutions despite evidence thresholds being met. Urges for urgent investment in the criminal justice system.
Al Pinkerton
Lab
Preston North
The single largest ethnic group of perpetrators was white British men, responsible for 58.35% of child sexual abuse incidents from 2021 to 2025; however, the second most prominent category is 'Unknown', which shows poor data collection and analysis.
Ayoub Khan
Lab
Milton Keynes South
Emphasised the need for accurate data collection and publication to understand patterns of offending, improve prosecution, and protect children. He warned against using child sexual abuse as a political weapon to target specific ethnic or religious groups. Highlighted that white men are overrepresented in prison statistics for sexual offences but cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions based on this data. Welcomes the £65 million funding for the inquiry but questions whether further investment in youth centres is necessary to capture useful data.
Cameron Thomas
Lab
Bristol West
Emphasised the need to address sexual exploitation of children, highlighting cultural factors and the importance of protecting women's rights without undermining integration efforts. Raised concerns about political opportunism exploiting victims' tragedies for political gain.
Caroline Voaden
Ind
Halton
Highlights that research shows half of child sexual abuse in the UK occurs within families, with prevention education being crucial but lacking due to lack of funding.
Esther McVey
Con
Tatton
Esther McVey expressed deep disappointment at the need for a debate on child sexual offender data, emphasizing the public's outrage over institutional failures to address ethnicity, immigration status, and religion in cases of child abuse. She highlighted Baroness Casey's recommendation that the Government mandate the collection of ethnicity and nationality data for all suspects, noting the lack of data on religion and immigration status. McVey argued for the importance of understanding patterns in crimes committed by individuals from certain ethnic backgrounds to improve policing strategies. She also criticized institutions for avoiding hard questions due to political correctness, citing specific cases in Rotherham and other areas where such issues were ignored.
Gregory Stafford
Ind
Lincolnshire North East
Suggests the upcoming national grooming gang inquiry should have access to data for transparency and prevention.
Ms Spencer questioned why victims were never believed and highlighted the need for a culture that listens to survivors. She emphasised the importance of fostering an environment where women and girls are taken seriously.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Points out that the public petition calls for addressing all offenders, not just gangs, highlighting the importance of knowledge to solve these issues. Pointed out that only one police force complied with the Home Office's request to collect ethnicity data in 2022, stressing the necessity of statutory enforcement.
Ian Roome
Con
Great Yarmouth
The hon. Lady agrees that when justice for child sexual offences is delivered late, it raises difficult questions about what might be happening on the streets today and in one's own constituency.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Emphasised the importance of sharing child sexual offender data across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England for accountability.
John Lamont
Con
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Calls for consistency in data collection across the UK to address grooming gangs operating throughout the country.
Child sexual exploitation is one of the most vile crimes, demanding the strongest response from everyone. Transparency, accountability and truth must be upheld for victims; 115,000 children were victims of sexual abuse in 2023 and 4,228 group-based offences including family abuse were identified. Asked about the hon. Member's vote on the Crime and Policing Act 2026, referencing its relation to Jay report recommendations implemented by the Government.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Newton Abbott
Calls for councils, police, and CPS to publish data on nationality, ethnicity, immigration status, and religion of child sexual offenders. She cites historical cases where Sikh and eastern European communities were involved in such crimes, stressing the importance of collecting this information to target criminality effectively.
Julian Smith
Con
Skipton and Ripon
Mr Smith agreed with Mr Farage, citing an incident where Tower Hamlets council did not allow women over 13 to participate in a fun run, highlighting the prevalence of such issues. Paid tribute to his constituency neighbour's work on the issue and highlighted the need for more funding in analysing broader issues such as taxi networks operating in high-risk areas.
Kevin Bonavia
Lab
Warrington South
Agrees that everyone cares deeply about this issue and suggests working together rather than attacking each other over party political positions.
Lauren Sullivan
Con
Croydon North
Paid tribute to survivors of child sexual abuse and emphasised the importance of listening to their voices seriously.
Lee Anderson
Lab
Blaydon
Acknowledged meeting the panel of the rape gang inquiry and discussed passing information to them, showing support for the issue. Asked if there was any data on how many white British working-class girls have been systematically raped. Rape gang victims want action rather than praise for their bravery; suggests life imprisonment for British nationals convicted of child sex offences and deportation for foreign offenders.
Croydon Central
As a former prosecutor, argues that data can be useful in identifying patterns but stresses the necessity of prosecuting cases based on evidence rather than ethnicity or other factors.
Louie French
Con
Welwyn Hatfield
My hon. Friend believes that although the public perception is that child sexual offences are a northern issue, young girls in London have also historically been abused and people in authority in the capital city deny these crimes.
There is a worrying tendency to view these issues as historical. The national inquiry must be able to look at current evidence and refer it to relevant agencies.
Dartford
Stressed the need to confront systemic failures that allowed abuse to continue, highlighting institutional shortcomings in believing victims.
Michelle Welsh
Lab
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Asked about transparency on child exploitation concerns, calling for truth, transparency, and accountability to protect children.
Nigel Farage
Ind
Clacton
Mr Farage expressed concern about the perceived inaction of authorities over mass-rape gangs, citing cases where individual girls were raped by hundreds of men. He suggested publishing redacted reports on police and social services over 40 years and using parliamentary powers to subpoena witnesses for a Committee inquiry.
Paul Waugh
Lab
Hammersmith
Emphasises that strong political leadership is needed to address child sexual abuse cases, citing the example of the Rochdale grooming gang and Andy Burnham's independent inquiry leading to arrests and convictions. Calls for cross-party consensus.
Robbie Moore
Lab
Keighley
Mr. Moore highlighted the petition's call for mandatory data collection on child sexual offenders, including nationality and ethnicity, arguing that this is essential to protect children from exploitation and prevent future mistakes. He raised concerns over delays in implementing Baroness Casey's recommendations regarding record retention, noting a 212-day delay by the Home Office and an eight-month delay by MHCLG. Mr. Moore also emphasized the need for better data on ethnicity in crime recording, citing Keighley's predominantly Asian offenders against white victims, and questioned the Minister about including Bradford and Keighley in the national grooming gangs inquiry. Questions why Bradford and Keighley are not part of the national grooming gangs inquiry, despite Oldham's inclusion over 18 months ago. Also asks about the £65 million cost of the inquiry and its alignment with Baroness Longfield's views.
Robert Jenrick
Con
Newark
Mr. Jenrick praised whistleblowers and MPs who have raised this issue, noting cross-party support for proposed legislation on offender data publication. He emphasized the need to report demographics of child sexual offenders and gang-based crime to inform policy changes. Mr. Jenrick also called for transparency in court transcripts and records held by public authorities and advocated for increased funding and stricter sentences.
Rupert Lowe
Con
Great Yarmouth
Responded positively to a suggestion about contacting the Government regarding the inquiry, indicating ongoing dialogue but lack of direct communication so far.
Samantha Niblett
Con
Crawley
Asks if there should be nowhere for anyone, regardless of position or background, to hide from accountability when it comes to heinous crimes involving sexual violence as a weapon.
Sarah Champion
Lab
Rotherham
Stresses that recognising specific patterns of abuse, such as gang-related crimes predominantly affecting Pakistani heritage groups, could help prevent future abuse in Rotherham. Asked why frontline staff were gathering data but management blocked it, referring to the Jay report on Rotherham. The hon. Member expressed frustration that the petition did not include victims and survivors, specifically highlighting the targeting of a particular sect of Sikh girls along with white British girls. Can the Minister give clarity on whether the Government will accept the 20 recommendations made by the IICSA inquiry?
Steve Barclay
Con
North East Cambridgeshire
Emphasized the importance of transparency in uncovering patterns of behaviour where crimes were covered up and not just focusing on patterns among offenders.
Steve Yemm
Con
Mansfield
Expressed deep concern about child sexual exploitation and the failures of institutions to protect vulnerable children, highlighting that about 3 million people experienced sexual abuse before age 16.
Suella Fernandes
Con
Fareham
Three years ago, when I was Home Secretary, I set up the grooming gangs taskforce which led to 500 arrests and safeguarded over 4,000 girls. The hon. Member is making a powerful speech but ethnicity reporting is essential if we are to combat institutional fear.
Agreed with the importance of gathering data but pointed out significant cuts to public services, especially youth services, over the past decade and questioned if additional funding for youth work would be supported in hotspot areas.
Tessa Munt
Lib Dem
Wells
Emphasised the need for data collection and sharing regarding child sexual abuse, particularly on ethnicity and nationality. Stressed the importance of coercive control recognition and training for various professionals. Highlighted personal experience as a victim to advocate for justice and prevention. Small religious groups, often referred to as cults, should receive attention in the inquiry due to their impact on vulnerable children and adults.
Government Response
Natalie Fleet
Government Response
The Minister for Safeguarding, Natalie Fleet, expressed gratitude to all Members contributing and thanked Baroness Louise Casey for her evaluation of the scale, nature, and drivers of group-based sexual exploitation. She pledged the Government's commitment to delivering Baroness Casey's recommendations, including mandating police to collect ethnicity data from suspects in grooming gang cases. The Minister highlighted that legislation would be introduced through a White Paper to ensure data collection standards are on a statutory footing. A budget of £65 million was allocated for an independent inquiry into grooming gangs with a focus on the role of ethnicity, religion and culture. She also mentioned plans to deliver against IICSA recommendations and reforms such as mandatory reporting duties and improvements in support systems for victims and survivors. The Minister acknowledged ongoing efforts to strengthen how suspect ethnicity data is collected and emphasized the need for transparency and robust accountability measures. Finally, she thanked petitioners and MPs who participated in the debate, reiterating the Government's dedication to preventing future failures in safeguarding vulnerable individuals.
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