Accepted · Home Office says in progress (21 January 2021; nothing later found)
Recommended
The Home Office should coordinate the development of a national plan of action addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation overseas by UK nationals and residents of England and Wales, involving input from all lead governmental agencies in the field.
Since then (summary written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended coordinating a national action plan against overseas child sexual abuse. In January 2021, HM Government stated that the Home Office would implement the recommendation within its forthcoming Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy (Home Office response, Jan 2021; Home Office, Jan 2021). It noted that this strategy would set out actions involving the National Crime Agency (NCA), the intelligence community, and the third sector to prevent offending abroad (Home Office response, Jan 2021). In October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse reported that the department had confirmed implementation through that strategy (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).
Accepted · Home Office says in progress (28 April 2022; nothing later found)
Recommended
The Home Office should ensure explanatory guidance is issued, providing clarity to recruiting organisations and individuals concerning the use of the Disclosure and Barring Service scheme for work and volunteering outside the UK.
Since then (summary written by this site)
The Inquiry asked the Home Office to clarify overseas Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Writing on behalf of the department in April 2022, Daniel Rapport, for the Treasury Solicitor (Government Legal Department), stated that the service was finalising a guidance leaflet to be published by the end of May (Daniel Rapport, Apr 2022). That update described guidance developed specifically for the aid sector and charities, but did not mention individuals, with publication of the leaflet still outstanding (Daniel Rapport, Apr 2022). In January 2021, HM Government stated that the department would work with the service to reinforce guidance directing applicants ineligible for its certificates to the International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) (Home Office response, Jan 2021; Home Office, Jan 2021).
Accepted · The government states no delivery position (28 April 2022; nothing later found)
Recommended
The Home Office should bring forward legislation providing for the establishment and maintenance by the National Crime Agency of a list of countries where children are considered to be at high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation from overseas offenders. This list should be kept under regular review. The list of countries should be made available to the police, and used routinely to help identify whether a person who has been charged with sexual offences against a child poses a risk to children overseas based on their travel history and/or plans. If the person is considered to pose a risk of sexual harm to children overseas, the police should submit an application for a foreign travel restriction order under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The list of countries should be admissible in court and used when considering whether a foreign travel restriction order should be made under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and if so, to which countries it should apply.
Since then (summary written by this site)
The Inquiry asked the Home Office to legislate for a high-risk countries list. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, enacted in April 2022, provides that the Secretary of State may prepare, or direct a relevant person to prepare, a list of countries and territories outside the United Kingdom where children are at high risk of sexual abuse or exploitation (Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, section 172: List of countries, Apr 2022). Earlier, in January 2021, HM Government stated in a response published by the department that it accepted the recommendation, had commissioned the National Crime Agency (NCA) to compile the list, and would bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allowed to assist police and courts with foreign travel prohibitions (Home Office response, Jan 2021; Home Office, Jan 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsRebecca Paul · Conservative
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, …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsSuella Braverman · Reform UK
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 …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsSuella Braverman · Reform UK
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 …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsCameron Thomas · Liberal Democrat
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 …
Written Ministerial StatementHouse of LordsBaroness Smith of Malvern · Labour
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 …
Written Ministerial StatementHouse of CommonsBridget Phillipson · Labour
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 …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsSarah Pochin · Reform UK
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 …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsSarah Pochin · Reform UK
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government intends to bring forward legislation to introduce mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse by designated professionals, in the context of the recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into 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 …
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.
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
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.
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."