Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to work with the Home Secretary to implement the findings of the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse.

The department has a statutory obligation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) as a witness to the inquiry, and has been a core participant in 9 out of 15 of the investigations that the IICSA has reported on. The department leads on national policy for safeguarding and children’s social care, and works closely with the Home Office to ensure that the child’s voice is reflected in all policy decisions, and that the child’s experience and wellbeing is consistently brought to the forefront.

The department will be reviewing the inquiry’s recommendations and will work closely with other government departments to respond in due course. In the meantime, there will continue to be a concerted effort to ensure a whole system response to tackling child sexual abuse.