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| Abuse inquiry should cover whole UK, Home Affairs Committee says | Abuse inquiry should cover whole UK, Home Affairs Committee says |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The government is being urged to extend the scope of the child sexual abuse inquiry to cover the whole of the UK - rather than just England and Wales. | The government is being urged to extend the scope of the child sexual abuse inquiry to cover the whole of the UK - rather than just England and Wales. |
| The investigation should cover Scotland and Northern Ireland, including claims of abuse at Kincora Boys' Home in Belfast in the 1970s, a Home Affairs Committee report said. | |
| The panel must seek to avoid "gaps" between the various inquiries, it said. | The panel must seek to avoid "gaps" between the various inquiries, it said. |
| The Home Office said the report had been noted and was being considered. | The Home Office said the report had been noted and was being considered. |
| The independent, panel-led inquiry was set up by Home Secretary Theresa May last year to consider whether public bodies and other institutions failed in their duty to protect children. | The independent, panel-led inquiry was set up by Home Secretary Theresa May last year to consider whether public bodies and other institutions failed in their duty to protect children. |
| Separate historical abuse inquiries have been established in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where child protection is a devolved matter. | Separate historical abuse inquiries have been established in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where child protection is a devolved matter. |
| 'Cover up allegations' | 'Cover up allegations' |
| The Home Affairs Committee report said the scope of the main inquiry should be extended, highlighting in particular the case of Kincora, where MI5 has been accused of covering up abuse. | |
| Three senior care staff at the home were jailed in 1981 for abusing 11 boys. | |
| It has been claimed that people of the "highest profile" were connected and that the security services were aware. | |
| Members of the Northern Ireland assembly concluded last year that the claims could only be adequately investigated by a Westminster-led UK inquiry. | |
| And the latest report raised concerns that the powers of compulsion of the Northern Ireland panel did not extend to the UK government. | |
| It said this "calls into doubt whether it will be able to deal effectively with allegations of the possible involvement of UK government agencies in the abuse". | It said this "calls into doubt whether it will be able to deal effectively with allegations of the possible involvement of UK government agencies in the abuse". |
| The main inquiry must consult with the separate inquiries in Scotland and Northern Ireland "to avoid gaps between the areas covered by the various inquiries", it added. | The main inquiry must consult with the separate inquiries in Scotland and Northern Ireland "to avoid gaps between the areas covered by the various inquiries", it added. |
| UK historical child sexual abuse inquiries | UK historical child sexual abuse inquiries |
| Main independent inquiry: An expert-led, independent inquiry into whether public bodies, such as the police, NHS and BBC, failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. | Main independent inquiry: An expert-led, independent inquiry into whether public bodies, such as the police, NHS and BBC, failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. |
| Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland): Set up to establish if there were systemic failings by institutions or the state in their duties towards children in their care between 1922-95. Due to report January 2017. | Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland): Set up to establish if there were systemic failings by institutions or the state in their duties towards children in their care between 1922-95. Due to report January 2017. |
| Scotland care inquiry: A statutory public inquiry into the historical abuse of children in care has been set up by the Scottish government following scandals involving child abuse at institutions including those run by the Roman Catholic church. | Scotland care inquiry: A statutory public inquiry into the historical abuse of children in care has been set up by the Scottish government following scandals involving child abuse at institutions including those run by the Roman Catholic church. |
| List of inquiries established | List of inquiries established |
| The new head of the inquiry, Justice Lowell Goddard, told the Home Affairs Select Committee she was willing to discuss the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the inquiry. | |
| Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, she said she would raise it with the Home Secretary Theresa May if she felt it was appropriate. | Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, she said she would raise it with the Home Secretary Theresa May if she felt it was appropriate. |
| The committee report also endorsed Justice Goddard's appointment to the role. | The committee report also endorsed Justice Goddard's appointment to the role. |
| 'Outstanding credentials' | 'Outstanding credentials' |
| The New Zealand judge is the third person to be appointed to chair the inquiry. Two previous chairwomen, Elizabeth Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf, resigned amid concerns over their links with the establishment. | The New Zealand judge is the third person to be appointed to chair the inquiry. Two previous chairwomen, Elizabeth Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf, resigned amid concerns over their links with the establishment. |
| Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "We were impressed by the outstanding credentials of Justice Goddard, and the open and transparent way in which she gave evidence to the Committee. | Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "We were impressed by the outstanding credentials of Justice Goddard, and the open and transparent way in which she gave evidence to the Committee. |
| "We believe she has the necessary skills and dedication to carry out this complex task effectively." | "We believe she has the necessary skills and dedication to carry out this complex task effectively." |
| He said Justice Goddard would be standing down from the High Court of New Zealand and moving to the UK to take on the role full-time in early April. | He said Justice Goddard would be standing down from the High Court of New Zealand and moving to the UK to take on the role full-time in early April. |
| The committee also recommended: | The committee also recommended: |
| The committee also welcomed Theresa May's announcement that she was open to allowing the inquiry to investigate abuse allegations going back to before 1970. | |
| It recommended that Justice Goddard should look at the Leveson inquiry and the Hillsborough inquiry as examples of "well-run, focused, and victim-centred inquiries". | It recommended that Justice Goddard should look at the Leveson inquiry and the Hillsborough inquiry as examples of "well-run, focused, and victim-centred inquiries". |