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| Dame Lowell Goddard preferred to work alone, MPs told | Dame Lowell Goddard preferred to work alone, MPs told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dame Lowell Goddard, the former head of an inquiry into child sexual abuse, kept panel members at a distance and would rather have worked alone, MPs have heard. | Dame Lowell Goddard, the former head of an inquiry into child sexual abuse, kept panel members at a distance and would rather have worked alone, MPs have heard. |
| Professor Alexis Jay, her successor, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that despite this, they tried to make arrangements work. | Professor Alexis Jay, her successor, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that despite this, they tried to make arrangements work. |
| Dame Lowell Goddard, the inquiry's third chairwoman, resigned in August. | Dame Lowell Goddard, the inquiry's third chairwoman, resigned in August. |
| The inquiry, set up in 2014, has been beset by controversies. | The inquiry, set up in 2014, has been beset by controversies. |
| The committee quizzed Prof Jay, who was previously on the panel, and two current panel members about Dame Lowell Goddard's departure and the inquiry's progress. | The committee quizzed Prof Jay, who was previously on the panel, and two current panel members about Dame Lowell Goddard's departure and the inquiry's progress. |
| Who is Justice Lowell Goddard? | |
| Panel member Ivor Frank, a human rights barrister, was asked whether Dame Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand high court judge, was a "nightmare to work with". | Panel member Ivor Frank, a human rights barrister, was asked whether Dame Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand high court judge, was a "nightmare to work with". |
| "I would not use that language. I would prefer to say there were challenges," he replied. | "I would not use that language. I would prefer to say there were challenges," he replied. |
| He said she was not always present in the UK throughout her 16-month tenure and the panel was able to continue working without very much contact. | He said she was not always present in the UK throughout her 16-month tenure and the panel was able to continue working without very much contact. |
| "There were times when things were perfectly amicable and perfectly professional, there were other times when it was less the case," he told the committee. | "There were times when things were perfectly amicable and perfectly professional, there were other times when it was less the case," he told the committee. |
| 'Never in crisis' | |
| During questioning, Prof Jay denied the inquiry had been "an unhappy ship". | During questioning, Prof Jay denied the inquiry had been "an unhappy ship". |
| She said a great deal of work had been done, it had always been "open for business" and it was not true to say it was ever in crisis. | She said a great deal of work had been done, it had always been "open for business" and it was not true to say it was ever in crisis. |
| But she acknowledged that had Dame Lowell Goddard not resigned, it would have been "very difficult" for the work of the inquiry to be carried out. | But she acknowledged that had Dame Lowell Goddard not resigned, it would have been "very difficult" for the work of the inquiry to be carried out. |
| Another panel member, Drusilla Sharpling, also a barrister, told the hearing she had reported concerns about Dame Lowell Goddard's leadership qualities to the Home Office in April - more than three months before her resignation. | |
| She told MPs she did not give anyone permission to "spread these concerns amongst anybody else" and did not ask for any action to be taken. | |
| 'Controlling mind' | |
| Mark Sedwill, permanent secretary of the Home Office, who also faced the committee, said he had not heard "rumblings" about Dame Lowell Goddard's performance. | |
| He has already said that the first time he was made aware of concerns was on 29 July, six days before she resigned. | |
| "Had I picked up rumblings because we have former (Home Office) staff working on the inquiry? The answer to that is no," he said. | |
| Prof Jay said that of the 166 employees working on the inquiry, "just over 20%" had previously worked for the Home Office. | Prof Jay said that of the 166 employees working on the inquiry, "just over 20%" had previously worked for the Home Office. |
| The committee suggested this made it harder for abuse survivors to have confidence in the "independence" of the inquiry. | The committee suggested this made it harder for abuse survivors to have confidence in the "independence" of the inquiry. |
| Drusilla Sharpling, from the panel, stressed: "The chair and the panel are the controlling mind of this inquiry." | Drusilla Sharpling, from the panel, stressed: "The chair and the panel are the controlling mind of this inquiry." |
| In her resignation letter from August, Dame Lowell Goddard said the inquiry had a "legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off". | In her resignation letter from August, Dame Lowell Goddard said the inquiry had a "legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off". |
| She has since been accused of using racist language, something she has strongly denied. | She has since been accused of using racist language, something she has strongly denied. |
| Asked by the committee about these reports, Prof Jay said she could not talk about any aspect of HR or personnel experience in the inquiry, saying it was confidential. | Asked by the committee about these reports, Prof Jay said she could not talk about any aspect of HR or personnel experience in the inquiry, saying it was confidential. |
| Dame Lowell Goddard's predecessors, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Dame Fiona Woolf, both quit over alleged conflicts of interest. | Dame Lowell Goddard's predecessors, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Dame Fiona Woolf, both quit over alleged conflicts of interest. |
| Senior lawyer Ben Emmerson QC also stepped down. | Senior lawyer Ben Emmerson QC also stepped down. |
| Abuse inquiry: How we got here | Abuse inquiry: How we got here |
| 7 July 2014 - government announces independent inquiry into the way public bodies investigated and handled child sex abuse claims. Baroness Butler-Sloss chosen as head | 7 July 2014 - government announces independent inquiry into the way public bodies investigated and handled child sex abuse claims. Baroness Butler-Sloss chosen as head |
| 9 July - Baroness Butler-Sloss faces calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s | 9 July - Baroness Butler-Sloss faces calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s |
| 14 July - she stands down, saying she is "not the right person" for the job | 14 July - she stands down, saying she is "not the right person" for the job |
| 5 September - Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf named the new head of the inquiry | 5 September - Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf named the new head of the inquiry |
| 11 October - Mrs Woolf discloses she had five dinners with Lord Brittan from 2008-12 | 11 October - Mrs Woolf discloses she had five dinners with Lord Brittan from 2008-12 |
| 22 October - abuse victim launches legal challenge against Mrs Woolf leading the inquiry, amid growing calls for her resignation | 22 October - abuse victim launches legal challenge against Mrs Woolf leading the inquiry, amid growing calls for her resignation |
| 31 October - victims' groups tell government officials they are "unanimous" Mrs Woolf should quit. She steps down later that day | 31 October - victims' groups tell government officials they are "unanimous" Mrs Woolf should quit. She steps down later that day |
| 4 February 2015 - Justice Lowell Goddard, a serving judge of the High Court of New Zealand, announced as the new head of the inquiry | 4 February 2015 - Justice Lowell Goddard, a serving judge of the High Court of New Zealand, announced as the new head of the inquiry |
| 13 July - Dame Lowell's pay is revealed as more than £480,000 a year | 13 July - Dame Lowell's pay is revealed as more than £480,000 a year |
| November - inquiry begins hearing directly from victims and survivors | November - inquiry begins hearing directly from victims and survivors |
| 4 August 2016 - Dame Lowell writes to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to resign from her post | 4 August 2016 - Dame Lowell writes to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to resign from her post |
| 11 August 2016 - Prof Alexis Jay announced as new head of the inquiry | 11 August 2016 - Prof Alexis Jay announced as new head of the inquiry |
| 30 September - Ben Emmerson QC, the most senior lawyer working for the inquiry, steps down | 30 September - Ben Emmerson QC, the most senior lawyer working for the inquiry, steps down |