Child abuse in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)<\/a>.<\/p>As the Home Secretary stated in his written statement of 10 January 2024, we are working with the ONS to explore whether a new survey could more effectively measure the current scale and nature of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse. The ONS is currently developing the questionnaire and safeguarding procedures for the proposed survey, which will then be piloted.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4826", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Laura Farris"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newbury"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Laura Farris"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-13T17:53:11.26Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of serious child abuse offences committed in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/242", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Christchurch"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir Christopher Chope"}
], "uin" : "17274"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693303", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693303/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children\u2019s Society\u2019s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children\u2019s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign\u2019s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone\u2019s role in spotting and reporting concerns.<\/p>
The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.<\/p>
If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children\u2019s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4826", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Laura Farris"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newbury"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Laura Farris"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "16750"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-11T12:57:15.897Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consider the potential merits of implementing a method for members of the public to report directly and anonymously suspected child exploitation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "16749"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693304", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1693304/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children\u2019s Society\u2019s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children\u2019s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign\u2019s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone\u2019s role in spotting and reporting concerns.<\/p>
The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.<\/p>
If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children\u2019s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4826", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Laura Farris"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newbury"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Laura Farris"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "16749"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-11T12:57:15.947Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps members of the public can take to report suspected cases of child exploitation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "16750"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1647834", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1647834/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government recognises the importance of high-quality, timely therapeutic support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.<\/p>
In recent years we have significantly increased funding for national, regional and community provision of support services for victims of child sexual abuse.<\/p>
As set out in our response to Recommendation 16 of the Independent Inquiry, we will be engaging with commissioners, service providers and other experts on child sexual abuse about what further steps we can take to ensure access to suitable support to help victims and survivors recover and rebuild their lives. This will build on provisions in the Victims and Prisoners Bill to introduce a duty on local commissioners to collaborate when commissioning support services for victims and survivors of sexual abuse, and work by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to map the provision of specialist child sexual abuse support in a \u2018State of the Sector\u2019 report. This work will support funders and commissioners to commission services effectively based on a better knowledge of existing provision and need.<\/p>
We have also committed to providing regular updates to Parliament on all the commitments made in the government\u2019s final response to the Independent Inquiry.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Miss Sarah Dines"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Derbyshire Dales"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Miss Sarah Dines"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-07-04T16:52:26.977Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government response to recommendation 16, of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in May 2023, CP 844, what the planned timeline is for consultation on specialist therapeutic services for survivors and victims.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"}
], "uin" : "191047"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1627718", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1627718/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is clear that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. The Home Secretary\u2019s comments relate to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which showed that perpetrators in those cases were overwhelmingly British-Pakistani men, and the victims were white girls. However, of course child sexual abuse offenders come from every walk of life, every ethnicity, and every background \u2013 as do their victims.<\/p>
The Home Secretary has made her comments clear, including through the Written Answer mentioned and through her publication in The Spectator on 22 April 2023.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-30T13:34:57.973Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-05-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 2 May (HL7140), which states that the Home Secretary\u2019s comments reported in the Daily Mail on 1 April about sexual abuse of females by perpetrators described as \u201calmost all British-Pakistani, who hold cultural attitudes completely incompatible with British values\u201d, related only to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, whether they will ask the Daily Mail to publish this clarification.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4909", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Kamall"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Kamall"}
], "uin" : "HL7838"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1624181", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1624181/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council\u2019s totality report into Child Sexual Abuse is a vital tool for government and police policy makers in understanding the scale and nature of the child sexual abuse threat. It is important that policies to tackle child sexual abuse, in every part of Government and across all agencies - education, health, social care, law enforcement, industry and civil society, are grounded in evidence so that they are effective in tackling this crime and safeguarding children.<\/p>
<\/p>
To further build our understanding of the threat, Home Office funding provides a dedicated analyst, working on child sexual abuse and exploitation, in each of the ten policing Regional Organised Crime Units based in England and Wales. The Prime Minister and Home Secretary recently announced a new Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce, which will develop a Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database to strengthen what we know about the scale, risk and prevalence of child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as rolling out the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme to give a clearer picture of organised exploitation. They will work collectively to enable us to build on the totality report analysis and improve local forces\u2019 understanding of risk in their areas, and thereby better identify and disrupt offending and safeguard children.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Miss Sarah Dines"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Derbyshire Dales"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Miss Sarah Dines"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-03T14:41:49.723Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-04-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council\u2019s totality report into Child Sexual Abuse; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4657", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anneliese Dodds"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oxford East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Anneliese Dodds"}
], "uin" : "182926"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1612610", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1612610/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We know that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. The vast majority of British-Pakistanis are law-abiding, upstanding citizens and the Home Secretary's comments relate to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which described the perpetrators in those cases as overwhelmingly British-Pakistani men.<\/p>
The 2020 Home Office report on Group based Child Sexual Exploitation set out the best evidence on ethnicity, age, offender networks, the context in which these crimes are committed and implications for national and local policy. As noted within the report, beyond those specific high-profile cases, the\u202facademic literature highlights significant limitations to what can be said about links between ethnicity and group-based child sexual exploitation.<\/p>
It is essential for police and local authorities to have a good understanding of offender characteristics and the drivers of child sexual exploitation in their areas, so that they can uncover and tackle offending effectively. That is why the Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced a number of steps to improve our data on, and our response to, group-based child sexual exploitation, including a new Taskforce, regional analysts in every police region, a new Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database hosted by the Taskforce and the roll out of the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, which brings together force-level, regional, and national data and intelligence.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-03T15:07:35.077Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-04-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Offences against Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government on what basis the Home Secretary has associated the phenomenon of grooming gangs with ethnicity rather than with religion.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3153", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Pearson of Rannoch"}
], "uin" : "HL7293"}
], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "next" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=1&answeringDeptId=1&hansardHeading=Offences+against+Children", "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 223, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]}
}