Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what support programmes have been set up for the victims of so-called "grooming gangs"; what has been the cost of any such programmes; and what compensation, if any, those victims have received.

This Government attaches the highest priority to tackling all forms of sexual exploitation and to ensuring that all victims, whether they are a child or an adult, get the support they need.

In each of the last three years the Government has allocated around £7.2m in funding to sexual violence support services to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence, including victims of child sexual abuse. This includes £1.7m to rape support services across England and Wales to provide specialist support to victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. A further £4.7m has been allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners specifically to commission services supporting victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

In 2017/18 the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme paid out £154 million to victims of violent crime, including victims of childhood sexual abuse.