Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Home Office

We know that most abuse is perpetrated by someone known to the victim. The Office for National Statistics published data from its Crime Survey for England and Wales in relation to child sexual abuse. The survey found that most abuse was perpetrated by someone known to the victim. Just over a third (35%) reported abuse by a family member taken as a: mother, father, step-parent, carer/guardian, or other family member.

Furthermore, 37% of those who had been a victim of contact sexual abuse said it had happened in their own home, and a further 40% in someone else’s home. This broadly aligns with data from IICSA’s Truth Project where 42% of victims and survivors who shared their experience said the abuse happened in the family home.

The Government is taking swift, decisive action to address all form of child sexual abuse and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. As part of this, we recognise the need to improve how safeguarding agencies protect and support children at risk of sexual abuse within the family home.

We have committed to implementing the seven recommendations from the national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s review into child sexual abuse in the family environment. In doing so, we will:

Implement new standards for child and family social work practice, placing greater emphasis on child protection, through delivering a national rollout of a new social work induction programme for all those entering the profession.

Develop new standards and training for advanced child protection social work to build expertise and help embed lead child protection practitioner roles.

Develop specialist child sexual abuse and exploitation training for social workers and other key members of the children’s services workforce, including family help workers.

Commission two Practice Guides for leaders and practitioners on how to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation and how to support victims.

Legislate for multi-agency child protection teams (MACPTs) to strengthen multi- agency working and decision making.

Make any necessary amendments to Working Together 2023 at its next update, which includes clear guidance on multi-agency child protection expectations and standards, as well as on section 47 enquiries and other child protection processes.

Deliver the national roll out of family help and child protection reforms from April 2025, supported by guidance which includes expectations around multi- agency leadership, practice and information, including in the child protection system.

Improve multi-agency information sharing, including through introducing provision for a single unique identifier for children and information sharing duty that provides a clear legal basis to share information for the purposes of safeguarding.

Work with NHS England and public health commissioners to audit pathways and services for child sexual abuse victims within relevant health settings.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are introducing a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse. It will require anyone taking part in relevant activity with children in England (such as teachers, healthcare professionals and sports coaches) to report to the authorities if they are made aware that a child is being sexually abused.

The new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection launched in April 2025 will improve the police response to child protection and violence against women and girls.

We have committed further funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to improve the ability of professionals in policing, health, local authorities, and multi-agency partnerships, to identify and respond effectively to all forms of child sexual abuse through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Answering body: Home Office

The Government continues to focus on delivering real change for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

I refer the Noble Lord to the statements made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on 08 April and Lord Hanson of Flint on 22 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including progress on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). IICSA, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was a full national inquiry taking 7 years, which engaged over 7,000 victims and survivors, and had 15 separate strands, including a specific two-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

Victims, survivors and experts, including Alexis Jay, have been clear that they want to see action now. That means protecting more children, pursuing more criminals, and getting justice for more victims and survivors. That is why we are delivering on the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in January, including expanding the victims’ right to review and asking all police forces to review historic grooming cases that were closed with ‘No Further Action’. We are also developing a new national best practice framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, drawing on the experience of experts, including victims and survivors. Further details will be provided later this month.

Alongside that, we will set out how local authorities can access support for independent local inquiries or related work through a national fund. The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse, including the characteristics of offenders. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the coming weeks.

Answering body: Home Office

In 2015, the Government set up the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to consider the extent to which institutions in England and Wales have failed in their duty to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The Inquiry operates independently of Government and decides for itself what it investigates and how. As part of its work programme, the Inquiry held three investigations into child sexual abuse in religious institutions:

The Inquiry held an investigation into the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Anglican Church in England and the Church in Wales. The investigation considered the adequacy of the Past Cases Review of the Church of England and the Historic Cases Review of the Church in Wales. It considered two case studies: The Diocese of Chichester, where there have been multiple allegations of sexual abuse, and numerous investigations and reviews; and the case of Peter Ball, formerly Bishop of Lewes and subsequently Bishop of Gloucester. This investigation is now complete and a report setting out the Inquiry’s findings was published in October 2020, and can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/anglican-church

Separately, the Inquiry investigated the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Inquiry examined the English Benedictine Congregation and the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which have been the subject of numerous allegations of child sexual abuse. This investigation is now complete and a report with the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations was published in November 2020, and can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/roman-catholic-church

More recently, the Inquiry investigated the current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales, including non-conformist Christian denominations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The public hearing into this investigation concluded in August 2020. An investigation report will be published in summer 2021, and more details can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/investigation/child-protection-religious-organisations-and-settings

Answering body: Home Office

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is operationally independent and responsible for the management of its own budget. The Inquiry publishes financial statements on a quarterly basis on its website https://www.iicsa.org.uk/.

The most recent financial statement, covering the Inquiry’s 2020/21 spend as at 30 September 2020, can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/news/inquiry-publishes-financial-report-q2-202021

The inquiry’s total spend up to 30 September 2020 was £152m.

It is difficult to provide an expected final cost of the Inquiry at this stage, but the Inquiry has recently concluded its public hearings and will publish its full life costs at the close of the Inquiry.

Answering body: Home Office

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse investigation report, ‘Allegations of child sexual abuse linked to Westminster’, was published on 25 February and is available at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/westminster/executive-summary. The Government is considering the report’s recommendations carefully and will respond in due course.

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 2019/20 spend as at 31 March 2020, can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/18739/view/inquiry-financial-report-q4-2019-20-ending-31-march-2020.pdf.

The Inquiry expects its public hearings to conclude by the end of 2020. The Inquiry will then turn to writing its final report. Providing the complete information requested would exceed the word limit for responses to written parliamentary questions. However, the information requested is available through the links provided.

Answering body: Home Office

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse operates independently of Government, and its independence is crucial to its effectiveness. It is for the Inquiry to decide, within its terms of reference, what to investigate and how.

The IICSA stated its intention to continue to keep under review the investigation into the institutional responses to allegations involving Lord Janner in its determination notices in April 2017 and May 2017. These notices can be found at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1363/view/2017-04-11noticeofdetermination.pdf and
https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/1386/view/notice-determination-3-may-2017.pdf.

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

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.