Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Inquiry, how she will ensure the survivors of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse are supported throughout the process.

We remain committed to delivering an inquiry that earns trust and delivers truth. Following the appointment of the Chair and the establishment of the Inquiry, the Chair will consult on the Terms of Reference with victims and survivors and other key stakeholders before agreeing a final version with the Home Secretary. The inquiry will then begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for investigations.

We are moving at pace, but we will not compromise rigour for speed. This is a complex and sensitive process, and we are not setting arbitrary deadlines – we are focused on getting it right. We will provide public updates when it is appropriate to do so.

The inquiry is expected to operate over a two to three-year period which will maximise the number of areas it can examine, while remaining time-limited so that victims and survivors receive answers swiftly.

The Government recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors receive better care and support.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse. Government committed in that update to double funding and invest an additional £1.6 million for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Home Office continues to fund voluntary organisations providing nationally accessible services to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, investing £2.59 million this year to seven organisations through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.