Government backing for Alexis Jay to stay in charge of child abuse inquiry

The Government has backed Professor Alexis Jay to lead the troubled child sex abuse inquiry amid growing calls by victims and MPs for her to go.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna has called for her to be removed while the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (Sosa) quit the probe amid criticisms that Prof Jay is an “uninspiring leader”.

But speaking during an urgent question in the Commons on the inquiry, Home Office minister Sarah Newton said: “I am confident, as is the Prime Minister, as is the Home Secretary, in the ability of Professor Jay to lead this inquiry.”

Prof Jay became the fourth chairwoman to lead the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) after her predecessor Dame Lowell Goddard quit in August.

The future of the wide-ranging probe has been plunged into further turmoil after Sosa quit branding it an “unpalatable circus” and other victims’ groups voiced concerns over her leadership.

But Ms Newton insisted Prof Jay is the right person for the job, and denied the Government is using the independence of the inquiry as a “smokescreen” to deflect criticisms.

The minister told the Commons: “She has a distinguished career in social work and a longstanding dedication to child protection.

“She led the independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, where she scrutinised the work of social workers, and proved her capability to uncover failings across institutions and professions.

“She is the right person to take this work forward.”

Labour MP Lisa Nandy (Wigan), who asked the urgent question, warned the inquiry is facing failure and urged ministers to “get a grip”.

She said: “They have lost seven senior lawyers, three chairs and several survivors groups and it is now impossible to see this inquiry is still effectively operating.

“This may be the last chance that the Prime Minister and her Home Secretary have to rescue the inquiry that she set up, from collapse.

“Will she now stop hiding behind the smokescreen of independence (and) recognise that she has responsibility for this inquiry’s success and get a grip on it?”

She also demanded to know why Home Secretary Amber Rudd had not come to the Commons to answer criticisms “as this inquiry has unravelled in front of our eyes”.

Ms Newton hit back at the claims and said safeguarding children is “at the core” of the Government’s priorities.

She said: “You are quite wrong in asserting there is some sort of smokescreen and hiding behind independence.

“It’s absolutely essential that this inquiry is an independent inquiry. The terms of reference of this inquiry were shaped with the voices and the opinions of victims and it’s very important that this independence is maintained.”

Ms Newton refused to answer questions about whether the Home Secretary has met survivors groups since some quit the probe, and why so many people have raised concerns about the inquiry’s leadership and competency – saying these are questions for the independent inquiry.

She added: “I think it is really important that we all get behind the inquiry so they can get on and do their really important work making sure they get to the truth and deliver for victims.”

The inquiry refers around 80 cases a week to the police and more than 500 people come forward, Ms Newton said.

She added: “The inquiry remains independent which means it is not part of Government and is not run by a Government department.

“Professor Jay is mindful of both the scale of the task and the need to move forward with pace.

“And that’s why she has instigated an internal review of the inquiry’s approach to its investigations, exploring new ways to develop its investigative work whilst remaining faithful to its terms of reference.”

Tory former solicitor general Sir Edward Garnier (Harborough) told Ms Newton: “I have a constituent who since the early part of this century has been left in a hideous Kafkaesque limbo.

“He does not know whether he’s an accused person, whether he is a witness. What is his status in relation to this inquiry?

“He, like the victims, needs to be told when this is all going to finish – both for him and for the victims.

“Would you please make some inquiries of the inquiry to ensure that this man can either be prosecuted or set free?”

Ms Newton said the case would be an operational matter for the police.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott warned the Government against allowing the inquiry to “just run into the sand”.

She said ministers backed the inquiry’s previous three chairwomen and now supported Prof Jay, adding: “For the fourth time of saying that, why do you expect this House, the public and, above all, the survivors to be reassured?”

Ms Abbott said the inquiry is independent but said: “That doesn’t mean the Home Office can take no responsibility at all.”

The Labour frontbencher also said the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association wants to know what was the Home Office’s involvement in the “monitoring and supervision” of Lambeth children’s homes during the period when the “historic child abuse occurred”.

She went on: “Ministers cannot let this inquiry just run into the sand. The public expects better, this House expects better and the survivors expect better.”

Ms Newton replied: “I can absolutely assure you and every other member in this House that we will absolutely not let this inquiry run into the sand.

“It’s vitally important to a whole protection of children in our country that we understand the feelings of the past, that we seek remedies for the victims and we use that intelligence to better improve our safeguarding arrangements for children today.”

Ms Newton said it would be “inappropriate” to answer operational questions linked to the inquiry.

_{Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2016, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Colin Whyman / PA Wire.}