PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHILD ABUSE INQUIRY (19 October 2014)

That this House notes the instigation of an independent inquiry into historic child abuse by the Home Office which aims to investigate concerns that public bodies and other institutions have failed in their duty to protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse; further notes that the terms of reference as set out by the Home Secretary propose that the inquiry will not take evidence from individual victims, instead collating previous reviews to produce a lessons learnt report; believes that, unless revised, this approach will severely compromise the ability of the inquiry to achieve its stated aims; calls for the terms of reference to be amended to focus on hearing evidence from survivors of organised abuse; further calls for the inquiry to include the creation of a dedicated police team at the National Crime Agency to take evidence alongside the inquiry to investigate and prosecute offenders; further calls for the inquiry to stipulate that it will hold those who have failed in their professional duty, covered up allegations, or been obstructive to account; and further calls on the Government to find a new chair of the inquiry who has palpably demonstrated its willingness to challenge all quarters of the establishment to ensure that it can achieve its aims of providing justice to the victims of historic child abuse.

Sponsored by:
Mr John Leech (Liberal Democrat)