Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce proposals in line with the recommendation of the Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published on 25 April 2018, to amend the Police Regulations 2003 to include the requirement that a police officer and staff equivalent (a) have operational policing experience in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and (b) achieve accreditation in the role of the police service in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse to progress to Chief Officer level.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its Interim Report on 25 April. The Report contains a series of recommendations for specific changes, several of which are directed at Government. The Government welcomes the Report and is now considering the Inquiry’s recommendations very carefully. We will respond fully in due course.