The government has been criticized by the opposition party for its refusal to support a national inquiry into historic child sexual exploitation in Oldham.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed that the government would support a locally-led inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, as tensions among MPs on the issue continue to grow.
It comes after Home Office minister Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council’s request for a government-led inquiry into cases of child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs between 2011 and 2014.
In a letter to Oldham Council in October, she pointed to examples of other independent and locally-led inquiries, including the investigation by Alexis Jay that examined child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, and the most recent Telford Inquiry.
“That is why I believe it is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene,” Phillips said.
Streeting confirmed the government’s backing of an inquiry into the Oldham scandal, involving child sexual exploitation that occurred between 2011 and 2014.
“There may well be, and we think there is a good case for further inquiries into specific places, Oldham being a good and latest example. We would absolutely encourage and work with Oldham in establishing their own inquiries,” he said.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse was set up in 2015 on the orders of then-Prime Minister David Cameron and took evidence from 7,000 people over seven years.
It investigated the extent to which institutions failed to protect children from sexual abuse in Rochdale, Rotherham, and other areas.
The report, published under the Conservative government in October 2022, made 107 recommendations, including mandatory reporting of abuse and a national redress scheme for survivors.
Streeting confirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of Jay’s report “in full.”
