Cabinet-Level Minister for Children
IICSA · The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · Issued 20 October 2022 · Addressed to: UK Government
Government responseUK Government: Accepted (May 2023)
DeliveryDepartment for Education says in progress (Jan 2026)UK Government says in progress (Apr 2025)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, K.2
The Inquiry recommends that the UK government creates a cabinet-level ministerial position for children. The Inquiry recommends that the Welsh Government ensures that there is cabinet-level ministerial responsibility for children.
IICSA, The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · 20 Oct 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
In January 2026, Josh MacAlister, a Minister answering for the Department for Education, stated that the Secretary of State for Education is the Cabinet minister for children and that a Keeping Children Safe ministerial board has been established to drive cross-government focus on children's wellbeing, safety and opportunity (Josh MacAlister, Jan 2026). Earlier, in May 2024, the Thirlwall Inquiry legal team found that a Child Protection Ministerial Group had been established previously and that the work might come under that body (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, May 2024).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.
Government response
●UK Government · Accepted · 22 May 2023
We accept the importance of placing the best interests of the child front and centre in policy and decision making at the highest level of Government. This role is already fulfilled through the work of the Secretary of State for Education.
Extract from: Government response to the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Delivery
●Department for Education says in progress · 29 Jan 2026
In April 2025, the government published its Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, which responded to each of the 20 recommendations form the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The government agrees with the importance of having a clear focus on children across government, including at Cabinet level. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is the Cabinet minister for children and a Keeping Children Safe ministerial board has been established to drive and mainstream the strong collective cross-government focus on children’s wellbeing, safety and opportunity. This will bring together ministers from the government departments with a key role on issues affecting children.
●UK Government says in progress · 9 Apr 2025
The Government agrees with the importance of having a clear focus on children across Government, including at Cabinet level. The Secretary of State for Education is the Cabinet minister for children. A new Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will also drive and mainstream the strong collective cross- Government focus on children’s wellbeing, safety and opportunity. This will bring together Ministers from the Government departments with a key role on issues affecting children.
From: Tackling child sexual abuse: progress update (accessible version)
What other bodies have found
●Thirlwall Inquiry legal team · 15 May 2024
Government response to final report (25 May 2023): Accepted. “We accept the importance of placing the best interests of the child front … This role is already fulfilled through the work of the Secretary of State for Education.”
A Child Protection Ministerial Group has been established previously and the work may come under this body.
How this page is built
The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.