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May 'to outline wide-ranging child abuse inquiry' May 'to outline wide-ranging child abuse inquiry'
(35 minutes later)
Theresa May is to outline plans for a "wide-ranging" inquiry, led by an expert panel, into historic child sex abuse claims, the BBC understands.Theresa May is to outline plans for a "wide-ranging" inquiry, led by an expert panel, into historic child sex abuse claims, the BBC understands.
The BBC's Nick Robinson said the inquiry would look at claims covering the government, the NHS and the BBC.The BBC's Nick Robinson said the inquiry would look at claims covering the government, the NHS and the BBC.
The inquiry would be held in public but evidence would not be given under oath.The inquiry would be held in public but evidence would not be given under oath.
The home secretary will also tell MPs about a separate review of whether her department failed to act on claims of a paedophile ring in the 1980s.The home secretary will also tell MPs about a separate review of whether her department failed to act on claims of a paedophile ring in the 1980s.
Mrs May's statement to MPs is expected at 15:30 BST.Mrs May's statement to MPs is expected at 15:30 BST.
The home secretary is also set to announce a review into public bodies and their duty of care towards children.The home secretary is also set to announce a review into public bodies and their duty of care towards children.
Chancellor George Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the investigation would go "as far as it needs to go".Chancellor George Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the investigation would go "as far as it needs to go".
"People can be absolutely clear, these are very, very serious matters, we take them very seriously, we want to get to the truth and nothing but the truth, and we will do it in an independent and authoritative way.""People can be absolutely clear, these are very, very serious matters, we take them very seriously, we want to get to the truth and nothing but the truth, and we will do it in an independent and authoritative way."
Labour has been calling for a full public inquiry into the various child sex abuse claims from the past. Shadow home Secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 5Live she would have to wait and see the full details of the inquiry being planned. Labour has been calling for a full public inquiry into the various child sex abuse claims from the past. Shadow home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she welcomed reports that the proposed inquiry would be wide-ranging and cover all the various allegations - as long as a police investigations into specific claims continued.
However, she welcomed reports that it would be wide-ranging and cover all the various allegations - as long as a police investigations into specific claims continued. "Whether it's in the NHS about Savile, whether it's the BBC, whether it's in the Home Office, we need to make sure that all the lessons are learned so that we can have a strong enough child protection system for the future," she told BBC Radio 5Live.
"Whether it's in the NHS about Savile, whether it's the BBC, whether it's in the Home Office, we need to make sure that all the lessons are learned so that we can have a strong enough child protection system for the future."
Lessons learnedLessons learned
BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the form of the inquiry could be similar in style to the Hillsborough inquiry - with experts taking evidence mostly in public.BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the form of the inquiry could be similar in style to the Hillsborough inquiry - with experts taking evidence mostly in public.
It would not be a full judge-led public inquiry, such as the Leveson or the Hutton inquiries which had witnesses giving evidence under oath, he said.It would not be a full judge-led public inquiry, such as the Leveson or the Hutton inquiries which had witnesses giving evidence under oath, he said.
Ministers have so far rejected calls for an over-arching public inquiry into the various abuse allegations from the era, pointing to ongoing police investigations.Ministers have so far rejected calls for an over-arching public inquiry into the various abuse allegations from the era, pointing to ongoing police investigations.
Over the weekend it was announced that a senior legal figure from outside Whitehall is to look again into a Home Office review last year of any information it received in the 1980s and 1990s about organised child sex abuse.Over the weekend it was announced that a senior legal figure from outside Whitehall is to look again into a Home Office review last year of any information it received in the 1980s and 1990s about organised child sex abuse.
It is to look at what happened to a dossier of abuse claims reportedly passed to then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in the 1980s by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens.It is to look at what happened to a dossier of abuse claims reportedly passed to then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in the 1980s by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens.
Lord Brittan said he handed the papers to officials - but their whereabouts are currently unknown.Lord Brittan said he handed the papers to officials - but their whereabouts are currently unknown.
In a separate development, the BBC has seen a written account by the former leader of a pro-paedophile campaign group who claims he stored material at the Home Office while working there as an electrical contractor in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In a separate development, the BBC has seen a written account by Steven Adrian Smith, the former leader of the Paedophile Information Exchange jailed in 1991 and 2011, who claims he stored material at the Home Office while working there as an electrical contractor in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Home Office declined to comment on claims Steven Adrian Smith - jailed in 1991 and 2011 - had his own office in the department. The Home Office declined to comment on claims Smith had his own office in the department, saying a probe into whether PIE received any public funds was ongoing.
It said an inquiry into whether his Paedophile Information Exchange received any public funds was ongoing.
Duty of careDuty of care
A Home Office spokesman said Mrs May's statement would address: "The Home Office's response in the 1980s to papers containing allegations of child abuse.A Home Office spokesman said Mrs May's statement would address: "The Home Office's response in the 1980s to papers containing allegations of child abuse.
"And second, the wider issue of whether public bodies and other institutions have taken seriously their duty of care towards children.""And second, the wider issue of whether public bodies and other institutions have taken seriously their duty of care towards children."
On Sunday, former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit said there "may well have been" a political cover-up. On Sunday, former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit, who served in various ministerial roles under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, said there "may well have been" a political cover-up.
Lord Tebbit, who served in various ministerial roles under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, said at the time people had an "almost unconscious" tendency to protect "the system".
Last year's Home Office review found 527 potentially relevant files which it had kept, but a further 114 were missing, destroyed or "not found".Last year's Home Office review found 527 potentially relevant files which it had kept, but a further 114 were missing, destroyed or "not found".
Among the files found, there were 13 pieces of information about alleged child abuse, the Home Office's top civil servant Mark Sedwill said in a letter to the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. In a letter to the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mark Sedwill, the Home Office's top civil servant, said there were 13 pieces of information about alleged child abuse among the items found.
Nine of those 13 were already known or had been reported to the police. They included four cases involving Home Office staff, Mr Sedwill said.Nine of those 13 were already known or had been reported to the police. They included four cases involving Home Office staff, Mr Sedwill said.
The remaining four items, which had not been previously disclosed, have now been passed to police, Mr Sedwill added - although a Home Office spokeswoman said "now" meant during the 2013 review, as opposed to at the time the allegations were received.
'Flabbergasting''Flabbergasting'
The remaining four items, which had not been previously disclosed, have now been passed to police, Mr Sedwill added - although a Home Office spokeswoman said "now" meant during the 2013 review, as opposed to at the time the allegations were received.
The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the Home Office files but said it was "assessing information" as part of Operation Fairbank - set up in 2012 after Labour MP Tom Watson made claims about a "powerful paedophile ring" linked to a previous prime minister's "senior adviser" and Parliament.The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the Home Office files but said it was "assessing information" as part of Operation Fairbank - set up in 2012 after Labour MP Tom Watson made claims about a "powerful paedophile ring" linked to a previous prime minister's "senior adviser" and Parliament.
Mr Watson has set up an online petition calling on the prime minister to "make amends for historic failures" by establishing a national inquiry, which has now been signed by more than 55,000 people.Mr Watson has set up an online petition calling on the prime minister to "make amends for historic failures" by establishing a national inquiry, which has now been signed by more than 55,000 people.
But Labour's Simon Danczuk, who has campaigned for claims of abuse at Westminster to be investigated, described the situation as "flabbergasting", adding that more police were needed to carry out the probe after the Met confirmed it had seven officers working on Operation Fairbank. Labour's Simon Danczuk, who has campaigned for claims of abuse at Westminster to be investigated, described the situation as "flabbergasting", adding that more police were needed to carry out the probe after the Met confirmed it had seven officers working on Operation Fairbank.
"You can't have the PM and the deputy PM saying leave it to the police when they know they're under resourced to investigate. It sounds disingenuous," he told the BBC. "You can't have the PM and the deputy PM saying leave it to the police when they know they're under resourced to investigate," he told the BBC.
"We know from child abusers that if they aren't stopped in their tracks, then they will carry on abusing," he said.
"So the potential here is for the Home Office to have lost files that could have stopped abusers from carrying on abusing children.
"I can't think of anything more devastating than that. The public will believe that they've been lost deliberately in an attempt to hide the names of the people named in the files - and you can't blame the public for reaching that conclusion."