Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Home Office

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse publishes financial statements on a quarterly basis on its website https://www.iicsa.org.uk/. The most recent financial statement, covering the Inquiry’s 2018/19 spend as at 30 September 2018, can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/7553/view/inquiry-financial-report-q2-2018-19-ending-30-september-2018.pdf

An overview of this expenditure is set out in the table below:

Item Expenditure – FY 2018-19

Staffing costs £5,058,459

Legal cost £5,554,764

Safeguarding and other services for victims and survivors £1,868,934

Estates** £1,454,822

Information Technology £1,489,083

Consultancy & Specialist Services £996,330

Stationery and office supplies £27,801

Information Commissioner’s Office Penalty £160,000

Operation Hydrant (Ring-Fenced) £401,950

* Operating costs for the Operation Hydrant team which receives referrals from the Inquiry.

Operation Hydrant was set up to coordinate the response of police forces for non-recent

child abuse.

** Estates incorporates expenditure for the Hearing Centre.

1

2. FURTHER DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE RELATING TO CHAIR, PANEL MEMBERS

AND SECRETARY

Professor Alexis Jay OBE

The table below shows a breakdown of the contractual cost for Professor Alexis Jay as her

terms of appointment published on the Inquiry’s website, along with expenses claimed for

business related travel.

Detail Total spend as of 30 September 2018

Salary £93,425

Accommodation allowance £18,480

Expenses £312

Panel members

The table below shows the amount spent on each of the Panel members in relation to

remuneration and expenses covering as of the end of 30 September 2018.

Detail Remuneration Notes Expenses

Drusilla Sharpling

CBE

£76,212 The Inquiry covers 80% of Drusilla

Sharpling’s HMIC salary for 4 out of 5

days work for the Inquiry per week.

£555

Prof. Sir Malcolm

Evans KCMG OBE

£27,120 48 days at a rate of £565/day £3,448

Ivor Frank £75,428 133.5 days at a rate of £565/day £2,521

Secretary

Answering body: Home Office

On 25 April 2018 the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published details of the areas it will investigate and research in its interim report - https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports/interim.

The Inquiry is independent of government and its independence is crucial to its effectiveness. It is for the Inquiry to decide how to conduct its investigations within its terms of reference. As a statutory inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, it has the powers and autonomy it needs to fulfil its important role of getting to the truth, exposing what has gone wrong and learning lessons for the future.

Answering body: Home Office

On 25 April 2018 the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published details of the areas it will investigate and research in its interim report - https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports/interim.

The Inquiry is independent of government and its independence is crucial to its effectiveness. It is for the Inquiry to decide how to conduct its investigations within its terms of reference. As a statutory inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, it has the powers and autonomy it needs to fulfil its important role of getting to the truth, exposing what has gone wrong and learning lessons for the future.

Answering body: Home Office

As required by the Inquiries Act 2005, inquiry panel members must notify the Minister of any issues that might affect their eligibility for appointment, such as their ability to be impartial. In March 2017, following confirmation of the investigative strands that the Inquiry would pursue, Dru Sharpling wrote to then Home Secretary to provide details of her career and stating her belief that this would not affect impartiality.

The then Home Secretary replied confirming that she was satisfied that none of the information provided could be said to affect the panel’s impartiality. These letters are available on the IICSA website - https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1361/view/copy-2017-03-01-letter-from-dru-sharpling-to-home-secretary-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf and https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1362/view/copy-2017-03-20-letter-from-home-secretary-to-dru-sharpling-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf.

Answering body: Home Office

As required by the Inquiries Act 2005, inquiry panel members must notify the Minister of any issues that might affect their eligibility for appointment, such as their ability to be impartial. In March 2017, following confirmation of the investigative strands that the Inquiry would pursue, Dru Sharpling wrote to then Home Secretary to provide details of her career and stating her belief that this would not affect impartiality. The then Home Secretary replied confirming that she was satisfied that none of the information provided could be said to affect the panel’s impartiality.

These letters are available on the IICSA website - https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1361/view/copy-2017-03-01-letter-from-dru-sharpling-to-home-secretary-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf and https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1362/view/copy-2017-03-20-letter-from-home-secretary-to-dru-sharpling-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf.

Answering body: Home Office

As required by the Inquiries Act 2005, inquiry panel members must notify the Minister of any issues that might affect their eligibility for appointment, such as their ability to be impartial. In March 2017, following confirmation of the investigative strands that the Inquiry would pursue, Dru Sharpling wrote to then Home Secretary to provide details of her career and stating her belief that this would not affect impartiality.

The then Home Secretary replied confirming that she was satisfied that none of the information provided could be said to affect the panel’s impartiality. These letters are available on the IICSA website - https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1361/view/copy-2017-03-01-letter-from-dru-sharpling-to-home-secretary-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf and https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1362/view/copy-2017-03-20-letter-from-home-secretary-to-dru-sharpling-re-further-declaration-interest.pdf.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I am pleased to announce that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has, in accordance with its Terms of Reference, today published its Interim Report [HC 954]. Pursuant to Section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005, I am also laying a copy of the report before the House.

The report will be published on the Inquiry’s website, www.iicsa.org.uk, and at Gov.UK . Copies will also be available in the Vote Office.

The Interim Report provides an overview of the work undertaken by the Inquiry so far, together with emerging themes and recommendations.

Across Government, the Interim Report will be given careful and proper consideration. Discussions with Business Managers are currently in hand to schedule a debate to be held in Government time to enable the House to fully discuss the content.

I would like to thank Professor Jay and the Panel for their continued work to uncover the truth, expose what went wrong in the past and to learn the lessons for the future.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I am pleased to announce that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has today published its first regular report, which can be found at www.iicsa.org.uk.

This report relates to its Child Migration Programmes case study. The child migration policy was misguided and deeply flawed. Successive governments have accepted that the policy of child migration was wrong. The 2010 national apology has been reaffirmed in each subsequent year. Over £9m has been made available to former child migrants to help them be reunited with their families.

Across Government, we look forward to viewing this report and considering how we can respond to its content. Meanwhile I would like to thank Professor Jay and her Panel for their continued work to uncover the truth, expose what went wrong in the past and to learn the lessons for the future.

Answering body: Home Office

Details of Dame Lowell Goddard’s entitlements while she was the Chair of the Independent Inquiry are given in her terms of appointment which are published on the Inquiry’s website at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/94/view/chair%27s-terms-of-appointment.pdf

The Home Office did not acquire or lease any property for Dame Lowell.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I wish to update the House on the change in Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and today is my first opportunity to do so.

This Inquiry was established in March 2015 to consider the extent to which state and non-state institutions have failed in their duty to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, and to make recommendations to protect children from such abuse in future.

On 4 August 2016 the Chair Dame Lowell Goddard wrote to me to offer her resignation which I accepted. I am grateful for all of her work on the inquiry to date.

On 11 August I announced the appointment of Professor Alexis Jay as the new Chair of the Inquiry.

I am firmly of the view that the work of the Inquiry needed to continue without delay. Victims and survivors deserve nothing less. After consultation, I decided that Professor Jay was the best person to provide stability and maintain momentum in the Inquiry’s work.

Professor Jay’s experience, lifelong dedication to child protection and her outstanding leadership of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham demonstrate her suitability to lead the Inquiry. I am delighted that she has agreed to do so.