Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the scope of the national inquiry into grooming gangs will include the consideration of the historic background and factors behind child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United Kingdom.

We are working urgently to establish the Inquiry and Baroness Casey of Blackstock is supporting this process.

Our immediate priority is appointing a Chair with the credibility and experience to lead the inquiry, ensuring a trauma-informed approach to engaging victims and survivors throughout - from its design to reporting. We aim to announce a Chair as soon as possible.

Under the Inquiries Act, the Minister is responsible for defining the scope and structure of an inquiry. Once a Chair is appointed, in line with the requirements of the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair will play a central role in shaping the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.