Government responds to request for statutory powers in Oldham CSE inquiry

Oldham council will not get a statutory public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the borough, the home secretary has confirmed. 

In a letter, Yvette Cooper repeated the government’s support for an independent local inquiry, effectively rejecting the town hall’s request for additional powers that would compel witnesses and authorities to give evidence. 

Councillors unanimously called for a ‘more powerful’ inquiry into historic grooming gangs at an extraordinary meeting in February.

A similar request was rejected by the home secretary in November, sparking a major public backlash. 

While Oldham council has started work on its independent local inquiry, campaigners are worried that without ‘statutory’ powers, it will depend on Greater Manchester Police and other bodies to provide evidence voluntarily.  

Ms Cooper wrote: “This Government is committed to doing everything it can to tackle the horrific crimes of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

"This includes working closely with local areas to confront these terrible crimes, ensure perpetrators face the full force of the law, and provide vital support to victims and survivors.

“As you will know, the Safeguarding Minister recently met with victims and survivors in Oldham to hear firsthand about their devastating experiences and their demands for justice and change. 

“In that context, Oldham’s decision to lead an independent local inquiry is commendable, and the Home Office stands ready to support the Council with this work as it progresses.” 

The home secretary pointed to previously announced support for the local inquiry, which includes part of a £5m pot dedicated to up to five CSE inquiries around the UK.

She also reiterated national measures such as a UK-wide audit to determine the ‘scale, nature and characteristics of these crimes’. 

The letter noted the government’s work on the new ‘Hillsborough Law’, which includes a ‘Duty of Candour’ requiring authorities ‘proactively assist’ inquiries.

The law could give local reviews greater weight by making it a crime for police or local authorities to obstruct investigations. 

With the bill due to be introduced to parliament on the anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster on April 15, it could be months before the law comes into effect. 

Ms Cooper said the bill would ‘ensure that those who are complicit in cover-ups or who try to resist scrutiny are always robustly held to account and that truth and justice are never denied’.

She added officials from her department could ‘work with the council’ to ‘establish our expectations around candour in advance of the inquiry’. 

An Oldham council spokesperson said: “We are committed to giving survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE) a voice.

"That’s why we’ve commissioned Tom Crowther KC, to chair a local independent inquiry into CSE in Oldham.

"This was done in consultation with survivors and survivor support groups, who know that Tom has a proven track record of listening to those impacted by CSE, as evidenced by his work in Telford.

“We’re now in the process of formalising the commissioning arrangements.

"This process will be taking place over the coming weeks, and will ensure survivors are at the heart of the local inquiry and give them the best start on their mission to seek justice.”

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