Call for statutory Oldham abuse inquiry rejected

A bid by councillors in Oldham for the government to call a public inquiry with full statutory powers into historical child sex abuse in the town has failed for a second time.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed Oldham would not get judge-led review but reiterated the government's support for the council's local inquiry.

It comes after councillors in the area repeated demands to ministers for a "more powerful" statutory probe, where witness could be compelled to give evidence.

In a letter to the authority Cooper said the Home Office "stands ready" to support the locally-led inquiry as it progresses.

Her response comes after the local Conservative group on the Labour-led Oldham Council called a extraordinary meeting in February, where councillors unanimously voted to ask the government for a judge-led review.

It came despite the same request being turned down by ministers last year, and after the town council resolved to carry out its own local review.

Tom Crowther KC, the barrister who presided over a major child sex abuse inquiry in Telford, was announced as the leader of the local probe last month.

In her letter to the council, Cooper wrote the government would work closely with local areas to "confront these terrible crimes".

She pointed to previously announced support for Oldham's local inquiry, which includes part of a £5m pot dedicated to up to four other local child sexual exploitation inquiries around the UK.

Cooper also said work on a proposed 'Hillsborough Law', which includes a 'duty of candour' stipulation to force public bodies to co-operate with investigations, could give local reviews greater weight.

Sir Kier Starmer has promised to introduce the law before the next anniversary of the tragedy on 15 April.

Cooper said the bill would "ensure that those who are complicit in cover-ups or who try to resist scrutiny are always robustly held to account and that truth and justice are never denied'.

She added officials from her department could 'work with the council' to 'establish our expectations around candour in advance of the inquiry'.

An Oldham Council spokesman said the authority was in the process of "formalising the commissioning arrangements" of the local review.

He said: "This process will be taking place over the coming weeks, and will ensure survivors are at the heart of the local inquiry and give them the best start on their mission to seek justice."

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