Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 March 2026
Letter from Jess Phillips MP, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls on the geographic scope of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, dated 19.2.26
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Summary
Jess Phillips MP outlines the Government's approach to the geographic scope of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs and clarifies the Government's implementation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) recommendation on mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. The inquiry covers England and Wales only, mirroring Baroness Casey's audit, as child protection is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland; the Government will share findings with devolved administrations. On mandatory reporting, the Government defends its Crime and Policing Bill provisions as differing mechanically but preserving IICSA's core objective.
Key findings
- The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs is limited to England and Wales because child protection and policing are devolved matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland; findings will be shared with devolved administrations.
- The Scottish Government is conducting a parallel national review chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, establishing a UK-wide coordinated approach to child protection.
- The Crime and Policing Bill's mandatory reporting duty applies only when reporters have 'unambiguous reason to believe' they are in receipt of an allegation of child sexual abuse, narrower than IICSA's original recommendation.
- Reporting of potential signs and indicators of sexual abuse will be addressed through existing referral expectations in statutory safeguarding guidance rather than as a statutory duty.
- The Bill criminalises obstruction or deterrence of reporters rather than breaches of the duty itself; failures to report will be referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service and professional regulators instead.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Jess Phillips MP, Simon Hoare MP, John Lamont MP, Sam Carling MP, Baroness Casey, Professor Alexis Jay, Home Secretary, Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)
Notable line
“Some divergence at the level of mechanisms or legal drafting does not mean a departure from the principles set out by an inquiry …”
Key Quotes
“The Government has established a statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs that mirrors the remit of Baroness Casey's National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which covered England and Wales only.”
“This is because child protection and policing are devolved matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
“Some divergence at the level of mechanisms or legal drafting does not mean a departure from the principles set out by an inquiry, and does not detract from the Government's commitment to delivering them.”
“… the duty in the Crime and Policing Bill applies to scenarios in which a reporter has been given an unambiguous reason to believe that they are in receipt of an allegation of child sexual abuse – when disclosures are …”
“We consider it more appropriate for those who fail to discharge their duty to face a safeguarding referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, and professional regulators where applicable.”
“… these alterations mean that the mechanism differs from IICSA's original formulation, they preserve the Inquiry's central objective: ensuring that the words of children who are seeking help are heard …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗