Conservative MP Robbie Moore says he is "infuriated" with the Government's plan for local grooming gang inquiries, which he claims will allow councils like Bradford to opt out of facing action.
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00:00I have to say that I am completely infuriated by today's statement.
00:08Here we are, on the very last sitting day before the Easter recess,
00:13and the Government have all but admitted that no real progress whatsoever
00:18has been made on their promise to launch five local rape gang inquiries before Easter.
00:24But it gets worse than that, Madam Deputy Speaker.
00:27For more than five years, leaders at the very top of Bradford Council in my constituency
00:33have denied, refused and covered up the very single call that I,
00:38and indeed victims, survivors and their families, have been making for a full rape gang inquiry
00:45across Keefley and the wider Bradford District.
00:48Yet the Minister and this Government refuses to face the facts.
00:52Bradford's leadership is simply not going to act by themselves.
00:57So I ask the Minister, why is this Government letting the very councils that failed victims
01:04decide whether they want to be investigated or not?
01:08And when will this Government step up, use their statutory powers,
01:12and give the victims and the survivors in areas like Keefley and the wider Bradford District
01:18the full inquiry that they have wanted now for almost two decades?
01:25The Minister.
01:26First and foremost, I want to say to the Honourable Gentleman that I am going to give him some
01:31absolute credit as being somebody who has for years spoken up about this issue.
01:36I pay absolute credit to him.
01:38Actually, I am surprised that we have not had closer conversations.
01:42The first thing I would say is that I would very much welcome, and I think it is actually being arranged
01:47from letters that he has sent to me, some time with the Honourable Gentleman to understand
01:52exactly what is going on in his local area.
01:54I would be more than happy to sit down.
01:56There is absolutely nothing that I am saying today that suggests that Bradford would not be able to
02:01access funding from the Home Office, just as Oldham has, to undertake the work that might be needed in Bradford.
02:08I would very much welcome a conversation with him about that.