Written Question
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a timeline for implementation of the IICSA recommendations.
Public Inquiry
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Completed · Chair: Professor Alexis Jay · Established March 2015 · Commissioned by Home Office
Wide-ranging inquiry into institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse in England and Wales.
Inquiry website ↗ Terms of reference ↗
Where it stands
Public hearings were held on 316 days between March 2016 and December 2020.
The inquiry has published 16 reports, most recently The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on 20 October 2022.
The most recent government response on the record is Government response to the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, dated 22 May 2023.
45 of the 107 recommendations tracked here have no government response on the record yet.
Government response (107 recommendations)
Delivery (the addressees’ latest statements)
- UK Government says in progress 11
- Home Office says in progress 10
- No statement from Church of England found in the sources searched 9
- No statement from Department for Education found in the sources searched 6
- Department for Education says in progress 6
- Ministry of Justice says in progress 6
- No statement from Catholic Bishops Conference found in the sources searched 5
- No statement from Ministry of Justice found in the sources searched 5
- Cabinet Office says in progress 4
- Ministry of Justice says not accepted 4
- Home Office says not accepted 3
- No statement from London Borough of Lambeth found in the sources searched 3
- No statement from UK Government found in the sources searched 3
- No statement from Welsh Government found in the sources searched 3
- No statement from Association of British Insurers found in the sources searched 2
- No statement from Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service found in the sources searched 2
- No statement from Child Migration Institutions found in the sources searched 2
- No statement from Church in Wales found in the sources searched 2
- UK Government states no delivery position 2
- No statement from Youth Custody Service found in the sources searched 2
- Cabinet Office says partially delivered 1
- Church of England says in progress 1
- Department for Education says not accepted 1
- Department for Education states no delivery position 1
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology says completed 1
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology says in progress 1
- Department for Work and Pensions says in progress 1
- Department of Health and Social Care says in progress 1
- Home Office says completed 1
- No statement from International Underwriting Association found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from Judicial College found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from Metropolitan Police Service found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from National Police Chiefs Council found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from Nottingham City Council found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from Nottinghamshire Councils found in the sources searched 1
- No statement from Religious Organisations found in the sources searched 1
- The government states no delivery position 1
Record checked against the sources 2 October 2026. Latest activity 7 July 2026.
Reports
- Accountability and Reparations Investigation ReportAccountability and Reparations · 19 September 2019 · 7 recommendations
- The Anglican Church Investigation ReportAnglican Church · 6 October 2020 · 8 recommendations
- The Anglican Church Case Studies Investigation ReportAnglican Church Case Studies · 9 May 2019 · 5 recommendations
- Child Migration Programmes Investigation ReportChild Migration Programmes · 1 March 2018 · 3 recommendations
- Children Outside the United Kingdom Phase 2 Investigation ReportChildren Outside UK · 9 January 2020 · 5 recommendations
- Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks Investigation ReportCSE Networks · 1 February 2022 · 6 recommendations
- Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation ReportCustodial Institutions · 28 February 2019 · 7 recommendations
- The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual AbuseFinal Report · 20 October 2022 · 20 recommendations
- Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual AbuseInterim Report · 25 April 2018 · 15 recommendations
- The Internet Investigation ReportInternet · 12 March 2020 · 4 recommendations
- Children in the Care of Lambeth Council Investigation ReportLambeth Council · 27 July 2021 · 4 recommendations
- Children in the Care of the Nottinghamshire Councils Investigation ReportNottinghamshire Councils · 31 July 2019 · 2 recommendations
- Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings Investigation ReportReligious Organisations · 2 September 2021 · 2 recommendations
- The Residential Schools Investigation ReportResidential Schools · 1 March 2022 · 7 recommendations
- The Roman Catholic Church Investigation ReportRoman Catholic Church · 10 November 2020 · 7 recommendations
- Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Linked to Westminster Investigation ReportWestminster · 25 February 2020 · 5 recommendations
Recent milestones
- Government Response22 May 2023
- Final Report Published20 October 2022
- Last public hearing concluded11 December 2020
Costs
£189,963,980
Total reported cost to March 2023 Costs in detailParliament
116
mentions in Parliament Parliamentary activityRecommendations
No recommendations match the selected filters. Clear filters
Reports and timeline
Reports
Timeline
Inquiry Announced
Home Secretary announced inquiry into institutional child sexual abuse.
Terms of Reference Set
Broad terms examining institutional failures to protect children.
First preliminary hearing
Chair Appointed
Professor Alexis Jay appointed as fourth and final Chair.
Public Hearings Begin
First public hearings commenced.
Interim Report published
Last public hearing concluded
Final Report Published
Final report published with 20 principal recommendations.
Show all 9 milestones
Government Response
Government published response to recommendations.
Costs
| Period | Total | Inquiry legal | CP legal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2023 | £6,971,878 | £773,728 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2022-23 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2022 to 31 Mar 2023. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2023 (cum.) | £189,963,980 | £52,079,728 | Not reported | IICSA Total Expenditure 2015-2023 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2015 to 31 Mar 2023. Cumulative total over 8 years. The inquiry ran from 2015 to October 2022, with final report published 20 October 2022. Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements.
|
| Mar 2022 | £14,191,559 | £2,606,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2021-22 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2022. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2021 | £32,693,623 | £8,393,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2020-21 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2020 to 31 Mar 2021. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2020 | £35,321,985 | £11,018,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2019-20 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2019 to 31 Mar 2020. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2019 | £36,673,118 | £10,871,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2018-19 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2018 to 31 Mar 2019. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2018 | £28,550,591 | £8,820,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2017-18 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2017 to 31 Mar 2018. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2017 | £20,836,063 | £5,628,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2016-17 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2016 to 31 Mar 2017. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
| Mar 2016 | £14,725,163 | £3,970,000 | Not reported | IICSA Financial Report 2015-16 Source and qualificationsAccounting period: 1 Apr 2015 to 31 Mar 2016. Annual expenditure (not cumulative). Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements - they may be included within Legal or Other costs. Other costs include safeguarding services, consultancy, and stationery.
|
IICSA Total Expenditure 2015-2023
Source and qualifications
Accounting period: 1 Apr 2015 to 31 Mar 2023.
Cumulative total over 8 years. The inquiry ran from 2015 to October 2022, with final report published 20 October 2022. Core participant legal costs were funded but not separately reported in IICSA financial statements.
Detailed cost breakdown · to Mar 2023
Parliamentary activity
80 questions
36 statements
Offences against Children: Convictions and Prosecutions
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for sexual offences committed in nursery, pre-school or other early years settings, broken down by (i) sex of the offender, (ii) offence type and (iii) age of …
Answered by Ministry of Justice: This Government is resolutely committed to delivering meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and will do everything in its power to prevent the horrors of these appalling crimes. Cases of such abuse committed in nurseries and early years settings are particularly shocking. The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide range of offences, …
Offences against Children: Care Homes
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the police on the potential merits of commissioning a further investigation into abuse at Grafton Close covering the full period the home was operational.
Answered by Home Office: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, ensuring victims and survivors receive appropriate care and support and pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice. Operation Fernbridge was a police‑led investigation that has now closed. The Operation resulted in one conviction for the sexual assault of a child at Grafton Close. Decisions about the …
Offences against Children: Care Homes
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the timeframe and (b) other aspects of Operation Fernbridge for investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at Grafton Close children’s home.
Answered by Home Office: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, ensuring victims and survivors receive appropriate care and support and pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice. Operation Fernbridge was a police‑led investigation that has now closed. The Operation resulted in one conviction for the sexual assault of a child at Grafton Close. Decisions about the …
Church of England: Children
Asked: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what criteria are used to assess whether safeguarding arrangements in the Church of England are adequate.
Answered by Church Commissioners: In response to the recommendations made in the IICSA Enquiry, an independent audit programme delivered by INEQE was commissioned across all dioceses, cathedrals & the National Safeguarding Team. INEQE use the National Safeguarding Standards to measure progress. The standards are available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/national-safeguarding-standards To date, INEQE have reviewed the National Safeguarding Team and 22 dioceses, including their cathedrals. 17 of …
The Sentencing of Vincent Chan
Statement: My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson MP) has made the following statement:In December I gave a statement to the House on the Metropolitan police investigation into child sexual abuse in Camden. Today, Vincent …
The Sentencing of Vincent Chan
Statement: In December I gave a statement to the House on the Metropolitan police investigation into child sexual abuse in Camden. Today, Vincent Chan is due to appear for sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court in relation to 56 offences, to which he has pleaded guilty.His …
Offences against Children
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to commission a national public awareness programme on child sexual abuse.
Answered by Home Office: The Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, published in April last year, set out clearly the actions the Government is taking to respond to IICSA’s recommendations. We are now delivering on those commitments overseen by an inter-ministerial group on child sexual abuse chaired by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. Child Protection Authority Last month the …
Evidence & impact
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, published its final report in October 2022 after seven years of investigation into institutional responses to child sexual abuse in England and Wales. The inquiry made 107 recommendations aimed at improving child protection across multiple sectors including criminal justice, education, religious institutions, and online safety.
The government's response shows 65 recommendations (61%) were accepted, 30 (28%) accepted in principle, and 12 (11%) not accepted. According to the progress updates, 41 recommendations (38%) are marked as completed, though this classification requires scrutiny of the actual evidence of implementation.
Published evidence indicates several concrete changes have occurred. The Online Safety Act 2023 incorporated provisions for age verification and child protection online. The Crime and Policing Bill introduced in February 2025 establishes mandatory reporting duties for child sexual abuse. The police complaints system removed time limits for historical abuse complaints in 2020. Religious institutions, particularly the Church of England and Church in Wales, introduced new safeguarding measures and governance structures.
However, significant gaps remain between acceptance and action. Many recommendations accepted in 2022 show limited published evidence of progress. The creation of a Child Protection Authority for England remains at consultation stage. Professional registration schemes for care workers and youth custody staff continue under review despite being recommended. The government rejected extending Disclosure and Barring Service checks to UK nationals working overseas, stating it could not legislate for employment practices in foreign countries.
The pattern emerging from the evidence suggests institutional willingness to accept recommendations but slower progress on implementation requiring legislative change or significant resource allocation. Where progress has occurred, it has often been in areas requiring policy updates rather than structural reform. The three-year gap since publication has seen movement on some fronts, particularly in online safety and mandatory reporting, but many core recommendations addressing systemic issues await substantive action beyond initial acceptance.
The government's response shows 65 recommendations (61%) were accepted, 30 (28%) accepted in principle, and 12 (11%) not accepted. According to the progress updates, 41 recommendations (38%) are marked as completed, though this classification requires scrutiny of the actual evidence of implementation.
Published evidence indicates several concrete changes have occurred. The Online Safety Act 2023 incorporated provisions for age verification and child protection online. The Crime and Policing Bill introduced in February 2025 establishes mandatory reporting duties for child sexual abuse. The police complaints system removed time limits for historical abuse complaints in 2020. Religious institutions, particularly the Church of England and Church in Wales, introduced new safeguarding measures and governance structures.
However, significant gaps remain between acceptance and action. Many recommendations accepted in 2022 show limited published evidence of progress. The creation of a Child Protection Authority for England remains at consultation stage. Professional registration schemes for care workers and youth custody staff continue under review despite being recommended. The government rejected extending Disclosure and Barring Service checks to UK nationals working overseas, stating it could not legislate for employment practices in foreign countries.
The pattern emerging from the evidence suggests institutional willingness to accept recommendations but slower progress on implementation requiring legislative change or significant resource allocation. Where progress has occurred, it has often been in areas requiring policy updates rather than structural reform. The three-year gap since publication has seen movement on some fronts, particularly in online safety and mandatory reporting, but many core recommendations addressing systemic issues await substantive action beyond initial acceptance.
Reforms attributed to this inquiry · AI-generated
- The Online Safety Act 2023 introduced provisions requiring providers of regulated services to conduct assessments of whether children are likely to access their service, with age verification provisions to be enforced from July 2025- The Crime and Policing Bill (February 2025) introduced clauses establishing a mandatory reporting duty for child sexual abuse disclosures, with criminal offences for interfering with reports
- The Independent Office of Police Conduct published statutory guidance (February 2020) removing the 12-month time limit for child sexual abuse complaints against police
- The Church of England's Safeguarding (Code of Practice) Measure came into force (October 2021), replacing the existing duty to have 'due regard' with a statutory code
- The Cabinet Office updated honours forfeiture guidance (September 2021) allowing formal statements where forfeiture proceedings would have been initiated for deceased recipients
- The UK ratified the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (June 2018)
- The Interim Code of Practice on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation was published (December 2020)
Unfinished business · AI-generated
- Recommendation for a Child Protection Authority in England remains pending, with consultation on a roadmap planned- Professional registration of residential childcare staff and youth custody staff remains under review despite recommendations
- Extension of Disclosure and Barring Service scheme to UK nationals working overseas was not accepted, with government citing jurisdictional concerns
- Requirement for Electoral Commission to monitor safeguarding policies of political parties would require legislative change not yet pursued
- Three-year time limit for civil child sexual abuse claims remains in place, though government has committed to its removal
- Compensation scheme time limits for child sexual abuse victims remain unchanged despite recommendation for extension
- Many recommendations accepted in principle await final government responses beyond initial six-month deadline
Implementation reviewed by
Thirlwall Inquiry legal team
(Feb 2026)
↗
The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025, published 27 February 2026) sets out 4 of this inquiry's recommendations that this site holds, with its own notes on implementation. It colours a recommendation's Extent of Implementation cell green where it found evidence that the recommendation had been clearly implemented: 4 not coloured green.
Thirlwall Inquiry legal team
(May 2024)
↗
The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024) sets out 4 of this inquiry's recommendations that this site holds, with its own notes on implementation. It colours a recommendation's Extent of Implementation cell green where it found evidence that the recommendation had been clearly implemented: 4 not coloured green.
Findings about the inquiry's recommendations as a whole
Home Affairs Select Committee
(21 Jan 2025)
This site's summary of the finding: Professor Alexis Jay told Home Affairs Committee that £187m was spent on IICSA and "to date none of its final recommendations had been implemented." Called for "full implementation" saying "get it done."
Key facts
Duration: 7 years, 7 months
Total reported cost: £190m
Witnesses: 725
Hearing days: 325
Documents disclosed: 195,034