Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she used to identify the five local areas to hold local inquiries into child sexual exploitation, announced on 16 January 2025.

On 16 January 2025, the Home Secretary announced a funding package to deliver stronger national support for locally-led work on tackling group-based child sexual exploitation. This includes supporting Oldham Council who have confirmed that work to undertake a local inquiry has already begun. We are in the process of consulting with local authorities and relevant stakeholders on the design and delivery of this package and will update the House in due course.