Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a study of the impact of rape gang grooming on the long-term (a) physical and (b) mental health of victims.

We know that children who experience violence or abuse can suffer from a range of physical and mental health issues over the course of their lifetime, and some may go on to become perpetrators themselves.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It funds a range of research related to the health and social care needs of survivors of sexual violence and abuse. It also funds the infrastructure of the James Lind Alliance. The alliance works with survivors of sexual abuse as well as health and social care professionals to identify urgent research priorities in the area. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of health and care, including the impact of grooming and sexual exploitation.