Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the report by Professor Jay, <i>Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013),</i> they will ask Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to investigate police forces which have large Pakistani communities to establish whether any reports of child rape were systematically ignored or covered up.

The failings in Rotherham exposed by this inquiry are appalling and the Coalition Government is absolutely clear that the lessons of past failure must be learned.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has a key role to ensure that identified weaknesses are addressed, and has several relevant inspection programmes underway. As part of their 2014/15 business plan, the Home Secretary commissioned HMIC to inspect forces to honour based violence and, in particular, how well forces establish and maintan relations with minority communities in a multi-cultural society, identify and assist vulnerable people and victims, and encourage increased reporting of crimes.

This work is scheduled to report in early 2015. Concurrently, HMIC are carrying out an audit of the quality of crime recording in every police force, which includes an examination of when forces are incorrectly 'no-criming' serious offences such as rape and sexual assault. HMIC's full report and conclusions will be published in October. Furthermore, HMIC intends to use its forthcoming all-force PEEL inspection programme to monitor how effective forces are at protecting those at greatest risk of harm, including children. HMIC are currently consulting on the methodology for this programme. There is no question of other sensitivities preventing steps from being taken to ensure both the proper protection of children and the prosecution of those responsible for the sexual abuse of children.