Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people applied for the role of Chair of the National Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Chairs of national inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005, are appointed directly by Ministers. Under section 3 of the Act, the Minister who sets up the inquiry has the power to appoint the Chair and any other panel members.

As has long been common practice for inquiries, such appointments constitute direct ministerial appointments and do not follow a standard open public recruitment process which seeks applications.