Yvette Cooper and Chris Philp clashed in Parliament (Image: Getty)
Yvette Cooper has been slammed for a “totally inadequate” response to the grooming gangs scandal.
The Home Secretary confirmed plans to hold five local “Telford-style” inquiries in towns hit by child rape gangs.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Up to 50 towns are affected.
“What about the rest – don’t they matter?”
Yvette Cooper has been under pressure to take action (Image: Getty)
The Home Secretary confirmed the Government will back more local inquiries – despite calls for a full public probe into the crisis.
And Ms Cooper asked police forces to reopen so-called “cold cases” linked to grooming gangs and child sexual abuse.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The Government’s announcement of just five local rape gang inquiries is totally inadequate.
“Up to 50 towns are affected.
“What about the rest – don’t they matter?
“And it appears these local Inquiries won’t have the legal powers under the Inquiry Act 2005 to compel witnesses to attend, take evidence under oath and requisition written evidence.
“Lack of these powers is why the Chairs of the Manchester Inquiries are reported to have reigned last year.
“Victims, the public and even Labour Mayor Andy Burnham want a full national public inquiry with the powers needed to compel evidence.
“So do I.”
In a fiery response to Ms Cooper’s announcements, Mr Philp told MPs: “What the Home Secretary has announced today is totally inadequate.
“It will only cover a fraction of the towns affected, and the inquiries appear they will not have the powers they need.
“That is why we need a proper national public inquiry, covering the whole country and with powers under the inquiry act to obtain the evidence needed.
“It’s not just me that thinks that.
“Recent polling shows that the vast majority of the public back a national public inquiry, including 73% of Labour voters.
“But most importantly, so do victims.
“Jane was groomed and abused at the age of just 12. She was gang raped repeatedly. She told the police and her social worker.
“At one point the Police found her being abused by an illegal immigrant – but the police arrested Jane. She still doesn’t know if any of her abusers have been jailed, or any public officials held to account for their failures.
“Jane now wants a proper national public enquiry,
“Home Secretary, why don’t you?”
In a major statement to MPs in Parliament, the Home Secretary revealed 29 police forces across the country are carrying out 127 “major” investigations.
There were 717 cases of abuse linked to grooming gangs in 2023.
Ms Cooper admitted “we expect all these figures to be a significant underestimate.”
She told Parliament, amid calls for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal: “We will also provide stronger national backing for local inquiries where they are needed to get truth and justice for victims and survivors.
“The Prime Minister and I both met last week with survivors from Telford who had enormous praise for the way that local inquiry was conducted after there had been failings over many years.
“That inquiry led to tangible change, including piloting the introduction of CCTV in taxis, and appointing child sexual exploitation experts in local secondary schools.
“As we have seen, effective local inquiries can delve into far more local detail and deliver more locally-relevant answers and change than a lengthy nationwide inquiry can provide.
“Tom Crowther KC, Chair of the Telford Inquiry, has agreed to work with the Government to develop a new framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries, where they are needed, and as a first step to work with Oldham Council and up to four other pilot areas.”
Ms Cooper confirmed she wants police chiefs to reopen cases linked to grooming gangs.
She told MPs: “The Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce led by the National Police Chief’s Council has estimated that out of the 115,000 Child Sexual Abuse offences recorded by the police in 2023, around 4,000 involved more than one perpetrator.
“Of those, around 1100 involved abuse within the family, and over 300 involved abuse in institutions. And they identified 717 reported cases of group or gang related child sexual exploitation.
“But we know the vast majority of abuse goes unreported, so we expect all these figures to be a significant underestimate.
“The Taskforce reports that there are currently 127 major police operations underway on child sexual exploitation and gang grooming across 29 different police forces.
“Many major investigations have involved Pakistani heritage gangs and the Police Taskforce evidence also shows exploitation and abuse taking place across many different communities and ethnicities.
“But the data on ethnicity of both perpetrators and victims is still inadequate. We will overhaul the data we expect local areas to collect as part of a new performance management framework.
“But I have also asked the Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce to immediately expand the ethnicity data it collects and publishes – gathering data from the end of the investigation when a fuller picture is available, not just from the beginning when suspects may not yet have been identified.
“In order to go much further, I have asked Baroness Louise Casey to oversee a rapid audit of the current scale and nature of gang-based exploitation across the country and to make recommendations on the further work that is needed.”
The national audit will have a £10 million budget and will focus on the “cultural drivers” and ethnicity of the gangs.
Ms Cooper added: “Before Easter, the Government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the 20 recommendations from the final IICSA Inquiry report.
“Four of those are specifically for the Home Office.
“I can confirm that we have accepted them, including on disclosure and barring.
“Work on these is already underway.
“A cross government ministerial groups is considering and working through the remaining recommendations, and that group will be supported by our new Victims and Survivors Panel.
“In addition, I can confirm today that the Government will implement all the remaining recommendations in IICSA’s separate standalone report on grooming gangs from February 2022 – including updating key Department of Education guidance.”