Public Inquiry

Southport Inquiry

Status: Ongoing Chair: Sir Adrian Fulford Established: Apr 2025 Commissioned by: Home Office

Inquiry into the 29 July 2024 Southport knife attack by Axel Rudakubana at a children's Taylor Swift dance class, which killed three girls: Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar, and injured ten others. Phase 1 report …

Response breakdown

67 recommendations total

100%

67 (100%) — Accepted

Data last updated: 2 Jul 2026 · Source · Data verified: 2 Jul 2026 (Claude)

Key facts

Duration (ongoing): 1 year, 4 months

Reports & milestones

Reports

13 Apr 2026 67 tracked recs The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1 · Tracked recommendations

Timeline

21 Jan 2025 Inquiry announced A statutory inquiry was announced into the Southport attack of 29 July 2024.

07 Apr 2025 Inquiry establish… The Home Secretary established the Southport Inquiry to produce a definitive account of the events leading up to … · Source

08 Jul 2025 Phase 1 hearings … Phase 1 evidence hearings opened. · Source

13 Apr 2026 Phase 1 report pu… The Phase 1 report was published in two volumes. · Source

Recommendations

67 shown

Code	Recommendation	Addressed to	Response
SP1	Single agency for high-risk children Phase 2 should consider what single agency or structure should be appointed or established to record, monitor and co-ordinate interventions for children …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP2	Shared multi-agency risk-assessment tool Phase 2 should consider the development of a shared multi‑agency risk‑assessment tool that is clear, accessible and suitable for use across public …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP3	Internet access restrictions for high-risk children Phase 2 should consider whether there should be a further ability to restrict or monitor access to the internet on the part …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP4	Taxi driver duty to report criminal activity The Department for Transport should require local authorities to ensure that all licensed taxi drivers have a clear duty promptly to report …	Department for Transport	Accepted	View →
SP5	Taxi company and school safeguarding arrangements The Department for Transport should ensure that local authorities establish effective arrangements between licensed taxi companies and schools. These should enable school …	Department for Transport	Accepted	View →
SP6	Police use of unarmed officers in immediate threat All police forces should ensure that their policies, guidance and training address taking on a calculated degree of risk in recognition of …	All police forces	Accepted	View →
SP7	Second Force Incident Manager support All police forces that have not implemented a model providing immediate and direct support to Force Incident Managers, ideally through a second …	All police forces	Accepted	View →
SP8	Ambulance staff training exercise funding NHS England should review funding, and consider providing additional resources, to enable all emergency response ambulance staff to participate in appropriate training …	NHS England	Accepted	View →
SP9	NWAS Major Incident declaration procedures North West Ambulance Service should review its procedures for declaring a Major Incident or Major Incident (Standby) to ensure clarity in how …	North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust	Accepted	View →
SP10	Police-ambulance terminology interoperability Merseyside Police and North West Ambulance Service should review the terminology used in their systems and procedures to ensure shared understanding and …	Merseyside Police	Accepted	View →
SP11	Out-of-school settings guidance update The Department for Education should update the out‑of‑school settings guidance by reviewing the health and safety section to ensure terminology is clear …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP12	Detection of concerning online behaviour Phase 2 should consider systems to detect and report concerning online behaviour and suspicious combinations of purchases. This should include consideration of: …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP13	Regulation of castor bean sales The Home Office’s ongoing review of the sale of castor beans should consider regulation of the number of castor beans that can …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP14	Archery bow age verification and restrictions Phase 2 should consider whether conventional archery bows should be subject to age‑verification prior to sale, delivery restrictions including ID checks, mandatory …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP15	Crossbow prohibition or licensing Phase 2 should consider, in parallel with the government’s consultation where possible, a prohibition on the sale of crossbows, a licensing scheme …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP16	Guidance on suspicious archery/crossbow purchasers The Home Office should provide clear guidance to all UK retailers of archery bows and crossbows on identifying and reporting suspicious behaviour, …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP17	Investigation of Ageo Wholesale knife marketing The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis should consider an investigation, with input from the Crown Prosecution Service if appropriate, as to …	Metropolitan Police Service	Accepted	View →
SP18	Online knife retailer compliance with Knives Act The Home Office should take immediate action to ensure that online knife retailers are complying with the Knives Act 1997, particularly regarding …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP19	Amazon bladed article delivery controls Amazon should: 1. Improve its measures to prevent children from making purchases, including making the conditions of use and sale more prominent. …	Amazon	Accepted	View →
SP20	Further knife/bladed item sales measures Phase 2 should consider further measures relating to knives/bladed items sales, including: 1. Restrictions on sharp‑tipped knives. 2. Prohibiting some online sales …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP21	School monitoring and filtering systems guidance The Department for Education should review and strengthen its guidance to schools on monitoring and filtering systems, including ensuring that the systems …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP22	LCC online harms risk assessment review Lancashire County Council should undertake a comprehensive review of how its children’s services and Early Help teams (i.e. Children and Family Wellbeing …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP23	Coroner and inquiry Ofcom notification powers The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology should consider extending the powers under the Online Safety Act 2023 to enable Senior Coroners …	Department for Science, Innovation an…	Accepted	View →
SP24	VPN age verification Phase 2 should consider age verification for the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) software and other options to avoid VPNs being …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP25	Operation Encompass cross-border extension Lancashire Constabulary should consider extending Operation Encompass to share automatically relevant information with schools in bordering areas. The Department for Education should …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP26	Recording words and behaviour of high-risk individuals Lancashire Constabulary, and the College of Policing nationally, should ensure that forms and training emphasise the importance of recording, as precisely as …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP27	Cross-force information sharing review Lancashire Constabulary and Merseyside Police should review the effectiveness of their information‑sharing systems and consider whether a more robust process is required. …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP28	Recording case information on police systems Lancashire Constabulary should ensure its training and systems address the risks associated with failing to record case information on police systems so …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP29	Risks posed by children and young people Lancashire Constabulary should ensure its procedures and training sufficiently addresses the risks children and young people may pose to others and the …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP30	Autism spectrum disorder police training 1. Lancashire Constabulary should strengthen its autism spectrum disorder‑related training for new officers and through continuous development. 2. National policing bodies, with …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP31	Response officer access to case information technology 1. Lancashire Constabulary should ensure response officers have access to effective technology providing clear, essential case information. 2. The National Police Chiefs’ …	Lancashire Constabulary	Accepted	View →
SP32	Prevent training on online activity assessment While training for Counter Terrorism Policing, staff involved in Prevent currently cover the importance of understanding a referred individual’s online activity and …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP33	CT Policing online activity analysis capability Counter Terrorism Policing’s capability to access and analyse data relating to a referred person’s online activity should be reviewed in the context …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP34	Neurodiversity training for Prevent practitioners Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should review its neurodiversity training for Prevent practitioners (including, where appropriate, drawing in wider healthcare advice) to ensure …	Counter Terrorism Policing	Accepted	View →
SP35	Balancing vulnerability with professional curiosity Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should review and where necessary strengthen the training that Counter Terrorism officers involved in Prevent already receive to …	Counter Terrorism Policing	Accepted	View →
SP36	Sharing information about closed Prevent referrals Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters and the Home Office should assess and issue clear guidance on best practice for sharing appropriate information about …	Counter Terrorism Policing	Accepted	View →
SP37	Prevent Supervisor training on closure decisions Prevent Supervisors should receive improved role specific training, including training on supervising decisions to close Prevent referrals and ensuring that all outstanding …	Counter Terrorism Policing	Accepted	View →
SP38	Prevent referral training for organisations Building on the Key Principles of Prevent issued on 23 February 2026, the Home Office should ensure that accessible information and appropriate …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP39	Working Together guidance on risks to others The Department for Education should update Working Together to Safeguard Children and the Children’s Social Care National Framework. These documents should highlight …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP40	LCC frontline staff Prevent training Lancashire County Council should ensure that by 13 October 2026 all its frontline staff have received suitable training, or refresher training, on …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP41	Social worker supervision for Level 3 cases Lancashire County Council should ensure that its arrangements for social workers provide appropriate support and supervision for family support workers handling Level …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP42	Decisions based on assessed need not inflexible criteria Lancashire County Council should review its processes and training to ensure decisions regarding children and families are made on the basis of …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP43	Significance of multiple referrals Lancashire County Council should ensure that its policies and training emphasise the significance of multiple referrals when considering the relevant risks relating …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP44	Frontline staff access to full case information 1. Lancashire County Council should ensure that frontline staff are required to familiarise themselves with full case information, with this being embedded …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP45	Autism training for frontline social care staff Lancashire County Council should ensure frontline staff receive appropriate training on autism spectrum disorder, emphasising that autism does not necessarily explain or …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP46	Addressing parental consent manipulation 1. Lancashire County Council should consider how to address repeated lack of consent or manipulation of consent within existing legislation. 2. Phase …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP47	Audit of LCC Child and Youth Justice Service Lancashire County Council, in consultation with the Youth Justice Board, should arrange for a comprehensive and independent audit to be undertaken of …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP48	Training on Child and Youth Justice Service 1. Lancashire County Council should ensure that staff within Children and Family Wellbeing Service, and Children’s Social Care receive training on the …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP49	Audit of Young Adults Team transition assessments Lancashire County Council, with the Care Quality Commission, should commission an independent audit of the Young Adults Team to ensure assessments for …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP50	Healthcare trust risk information visibility The Department of Health and Social Care / NHS England should ensure that all healthcare trusts involved in the care of children …	Department of Health and Social Care	Accepted	View →
SP51	GMMH local structured risk assessment responsibility At the local level, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust should liaise with all of the relevant community healthcare organisations (including …	Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS …	Accepted	View →
SP52	National guidance on structured risk assessments Nationally, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England should review: 1. Whether there is a need for further development …	Department of Health and Social Care	Accepted	View →
SP53	GMMH and Alder Hey joint SMART audit At the local level, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust should by no later …	Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS …	Accepted	View →
SP54	National guidance on SMART action points Nationally, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England should consider whether nationwide guidance should be issued on the importance …	Department of Health and Social Care	Accepted	View →
SP55	Community mental health services for violence-fixated children Phase 2 should consider the ability of community and forensic mental health services to deliver clinical interventions to mitigate the risk from …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP56	Mental health assessment powers for isolated children Phase 2 should consider whether further legislative change is required to allow mental health clinicians to assess children and young people who …	Southport Inquiry Phase 2	Accepted	View →
SP57	Agencies to respect school insight on risk The Home Office (for police forces nationwide) Counter Terrorism Police Headquarters (for Prevent), Department of Health and Social Care (for all healthcare …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
SP58	KCSIE 2026 safeguarding information transfer The Department for Education, in finalising the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance 2026, and in any necessary amendments to other policy …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP59	Audit of safeguarding information transfer between schools The Department for Education should carry out an audit to ensure that safeguarding information is reliably being passed between schools and should …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP60	School safeguarding recording systems The Department for Education should ensure (either by direct guidance or through Ofsted) that all schools are required to record safeguarding information …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP61	LCC education provision and attendance audit Lancashire County Council should, by no later than 13 October 2026, carry out and report on an audit (preferably involving an experienced …	Lancashire County Council	Accepted	View →
SP62	Guidance on LEA and police visits to absent children The Department for Education and the Home Office should review whether further guidance and/or minimum guidance is required in relation to local …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP63	Improved school Prevent training The Department for Education should ensure that (i) its own policy guidance for teachers and schools (outside the Statutory Guidance for which …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP64	Review of school attendance monitoring guidance The Department for Education should undertake a targeted review, engaging with a representative sample of local authorities, to check both that the …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP65	Remedial steps for failing education authorities The Department for Education should consider what remedial steps can be put in place to assist in circumstances where, whether through underfunding …	Department for Education	Accepted	View →
SP66	Guidance for parents of children found with weapons The Youth Justice Board should ensure that a form of clear practical written guidance is drafted which relevant professionals (social care, healthcare, …	Youth Justice Board for England and W…	Accepted	View →
SP67	Law Commission review of duty to warn/report The Law Commission should be asked to review the merits of legal reform concerning whether specified categories of persons ought to be …	Law Commission	Accepted	View →

Parliamentary activity

7 mentions since Oct 2024

6 statements

02 Jul 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Publication of the Government Response to Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry
Shabana Mahmood (Labour)

02 Jul 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Publication of the Government Response to Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry
Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour)

13 Apr 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Publication of Southport Inquiry Phase 1 Report and Phase 2 Terms of …
Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour)

13 Apr 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Publication of Southport Inquiry Phase 1 Report and Phase 2 Terms of …
Shabana Mahmood (Labour)

07 Apr 2025 Written Ministerial Statement Southport Inquiry
Yvette Cooper (Labour)

View all 7 mentions →