Labour has dropped its commitment to fund five grooming gang inquiries, making the announcement on the final day before Parliament’s Easter recess.
The £5 million originally earmarked for these investigations has now been reallocated into a “flexible” fund of the same amount.
The government stated it would still support inquiries if requested by local authorities, but is no longer committed to the specific number of five investigations.
In January, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had pledged the £5 million specifically to support five local investigations into grooming gangs.
Tory MP Robbie Moore has criticised the change, claiming that the five local inquiries had “been kicked into the long grass.”
The announcement comes as the government revealed plans to establish a new Child Protection Authority.
This new body aims to improve national oversight and consistency in child protection practices across the country.
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