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| Child sex abuse inquiry: Judge Lowell Goddard quits | Child sex abuse inquiry: Judge Lowell Goddard quits |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dame Lowell Goddard has resigned as the head of the UK's independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, the home secretary has announced. | |
| The New Zealand high court judge was appointed to lead the inquiry in 2015 after two previous chairwomen quit. | |
| The probe was set up in March of that year to examine claims made against public and private institutions. | |
| Home Secretary Amber Rudd said a new chair would be appointed and work would continue "without delay". | |
| The reasons for Justice Goddard's resignation are unclear but BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds described it as a "crisis" for the inquiry. | |
| However, it comes on the same day the Times reported Justice Goddard had spent more than 70 days working abroad or on holiday during her time in charge. | |
| An inquiry spokesman told the newspaper Justice Goddard had spent 44 working days in New Zealand and Australia on inquiry business in the first financial year of the inquiry and that she is entitled to 30 days' annual leave. | |
| The inquiry was set up to investigate allegations made against local authorities, religious organisations, the armed forces and public and private institutions, as well as people in the public eye. | |
| Baroness Butler-Sloss stood down as chairwoman in July 2014 following questions over the role played by her late brother, Lord Havers, who was attorney general in the 1980s. | |
| Her replacement Dame Fiona Woolf resigned following questions over her links to establishment figures. | |
| 'Personally committed' | |
| In a resignation letter sent to Ms Rudd, Dame Lowell said: "I regret to advise that I am offering my resign as chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, with immediate effect. I trust you will accept this decision." | |
| Ms Rudd wrote back: "I know that this will have been a difficult decision for you to make, and something you will have carefully considered. I was sorry to receive your letter, but I accept your decision." | |
| She went on: "I know how personally committed you have been to ensuring that the inquiry is a success for those at its heart: the survivors and the victims. | |
| "You have consistently demonstrated your desire to leave no stone unturned in order that the voices of those victims might be heard. | |
| "It is a testament to your commitment that you have taken the difficult decision to stand down now, having set the inquiry firmly on course, and allow someone else to lead it through to the end. With regret, I agree that this the right decision." | |
| Who is Justice Goddard? | |
| The inquiry had a budget of £17.9m in its first year, funded by the Home Office, with staffing-related costs accounting for 41% of the total. | |
| Justice Lowell Goddard was receiving a salary of £360,000, an annual rental allowance of £110,000 and £12,000 a year to cover utilities, while panel members were each receiving £565 a day. | |
| Dates for the full public hearings are yet to be finalised - but preliminary hearings began in March at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. | |
| Ms Rudd said in a statement: "I want to assure everyone with an interest in the inquiry, particularly victims and survivors, that the work of the inquiry will continue without delay... | |
| "I would like to thank Dame Lowell Goddard for the contribution she has made in setting up the inquiry so that it may continue to go about its vital work." | "I would like to thank Dame Lowell Goddard for the contribution she has made in setting up the inquiry so that it may continue to go about its vital work." |