Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure the full participation of local authorities in Bradford and Wales in their inquiry into grooming gangs.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the influence of racial and religious aggravation in instances of child sexual abuse.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse to publish its final written report.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of a national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Found: When I met Lord Davies of Gower, the Parliamentary Under -Secretary of State for Transport, in London