:00:12. > :00:20.Urgent question. Mr John Woodcock. Will the Minister make a st`tement
:00:21. > :00:24.on the failures set out by Justice Jackson yesterday after the death of
:00:25. > :00:34.Poppy Worthington in my constituency in December 20 12. Karen Gr`nt. The
:00:35. > :00:37.death of Poppy Worthington hs deeply distressing and disturbing `nd I am
:00:38. > :00:43.sure like all members of thd house I have found reading the press reports
:00:44. > :00:46.incredibly difficult and incredibly moving. However, that House will
:00:47. > :00:51.understand I cannot comment on this case in detail. The judge in this
:00:52. > :00:55.case made a ruling yesterdax in the family court, but any furthdr debate
:00:56. > :00:59.could be prejudicial to a sdcond inquest into her death which is due
:01:00. > :01:04.to take place later this ye`r. There are allegations of police f`ilings
:01:05. > :01:09.in the original investigation into her death in 2012 which havd been
:01:10. > :01:13.investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The IP
:01:14. > :01:20.CC report is completed but cannot be released yet so as to not rhgid as
:01:21. > :01:24.the second inquest. Child sdxual abuse is a horrendous crime and
:01:25. > :01:28.there is nothing more important than keeping children safe -- IPCC. That
:01:29. > :01:33.is why we have given child sexual abuse the status of a national
:01:34. > :01:38.threat in the strategic polhcing requirement, which sets a clear
:01:39. > :01:41.expectation on police forces to collaborate across boundarids,
:01:42. > :01:45.safeguard children, share intelligence and best practhce. As
:01:46. > :01:49.we have made clear, we will not hesitate to take tough action where
:01:50. > :01:56.councils or police are failhng in their statutory duty to protect
:01:57. > :01:58.children. Since 2014, the inspectorate constabulary h`ve
:01:59. > :02:04.inspected forces in England and Wales on their response to these
:02:05. > :02:07.issues including child sexu`l abuse. Those which fall short of bding
:02:08. > :02:14.re-inspected to make sure they are dealt with quickly -- they have
:02:15. > :02:18.dealt quickly with any failtres We are working with police forces and
:02:19. > :02:21.the National Crime Agency to ensure more resources and improved
:02:22. > :02:25.technology are available to investigate abuse properly. It is
:02:26. > :02:31.critical that the police have the appropriate expertise and tools to
:02:32. > :02:36.identify, pursue, investigate and prosecute offenders. We havd
:02:37. > :02:41.introduced new sexual risk orders and prevention orders which the
:02:42. > :02:45.police can now use to managd an individual presenting a risk of
:02:46. > :02:48.sexual harm to a child. We have introduced powers for the police to
:02:49. > :02:53.close an establishment which may be used for sexual activity with a
:02:54. > :02:56.child. It is vitally import`nt the police identify these cases and
:02:57. > :03:01.respond appropriately and this cannot be overestimated. In March
:03:02. > :03:07.last year as part of tackling child exploitation and the report launched
:03:08. > :03:11.in conjunction with that, investigations set a requirdment on
:03:12. > :03:17.all forces to train all new and existing police staff the rdspond to
:03:18. > :03:21.child sexual abuse and exploitation, including core handles, detdctives
:03:22. > :03:24.and specialist investigators. The College of policing has devdloped
:03:25. > :03:27.and will keep under review ` comprehensive training programme to
:03:28. > :03:31.raise the standard of policd response to child sexual abtse. This
:03:32. > :03:37.Government is committed to tackling child sexual abuse but I know that
:03:38. > :03:42.as little consolation to thd family of Poppy Worthington and I commend
:03:43. > :03:46.this statement to the house. On the 11th of December 2012, Poppx
:03:47. > :03:52.Worthington was taken to bed by her mother is a perfectly healthy child.
:03:53. > :03:56.As Judge Jackson set out yesterday, she was brought down stairs eight
:03:57. > :04:02.hours later by her father P`ul Worthington in a lifeless state with
:04:03. > :04:05.troubling injuries, most obviously significant bleeding from hdr
:04:06. > :04:12.heinous. The Justice Jackson was clear in his judgment yesterday that
:04:13. > :04:19.Paul Worthington raped that child and she died soon afterwards. Yet it
:04:20. > :04:23.was a full eight months latdr the parents were first questiondd by the
:04:24. > :04:29.police despite the pathologhst racing at the time that her death
:04:30. > :04:33.was caused by a serious pendtrative assault. By this time, cruchal
:04:34. > :04:36.evidence had been lost by the police, such as the nappy she had
:04:37. > :04:45.been wearing at the time and her bedding. In October 2014, the then
:04:46. > :04:50.coroner took just six minutds to record her death as unexplahned The
:04:51. > :04:57.Crown Prosecution Service h`s said there is currently no prospdct of a
:04:58. > :05:01.case being made against the father. Cumbria social services chose,
:05:02. > :05:09.despite clear pointers available, to a low her siblings to return to the
:05:10. > :05:13.family. -- allow her siblings. Though the failures happened after
:05:14. > :05:17.the child's death and not bdfore, the combined failure of sevdral
:05:18. > :05:25.agencies is every bit as serious as though it contributed to thd death
:05:26. > :05:30.of Victoria and baby Peter hn Harrogate. Will the Governmdnt make
:05:31. > :05:40.clear the value Poppy's lifd is greatly by ordering now is similarly
:05:41. > :05:43.for independent investigation for how the failings happened -,
:05:44. > :05:49.similarly for investigating the leak might investigation into how the
:05:50. > :05:53.failings happened. And order a separate force to come in and take
:05:54. > :05:57.over the investigation into Poppy Worthington's death to try to
:05:58. > :06:04.salvage some prospect of justice for her life. Will they renew their
:06:05. > :06:12.focus on improving social sdrvices in Cumbria, which have been troubled
:06:13. > :06:16.for many months as we know. What will the Government do to ensure the
:06:17. > :06:21.safety of the Worthington children and all of the community, all of the
:06:22. > :06:29.children there, given that Paul Worthington is still walking free?
:06:30. > :06:34.Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman sets out the case very clearly and
:06:35. > :06:37.passionately and he is standing up and working for his constittents in
:06:38. > :06:43.the way he always does. He will know that there was an investigation by
:06:44. > :06:47.Ofsted in 2015 in the Cumbrha social services and it was found to be
:06:48. > :06:52.inadequate. The Department for Education is currently in the
:06:53. > :06:56.process of an intervention hnto Cumbria social services to dnsure a
:06:57. > :07:00.child social services are properly working in Cumbria and that all
:07:01. > :07:03.children in Cumbria have thd support and protection they saw rightly
:07:04. > :07:09.need. We do need to learn ldssons from this case. We need to wait for
:07:10. > :07:12.that second inquest. The Attorney General has granted that second
:07:13. > :07:17.inquest. Until that is completed, we will not have the full facts. You
:07:18. > :07:20.will also know in order for the case to be reopened, new evidencd will
:07:21. > :07:25.need to come to light, which may or may not be the case depending on the
:07:26. > :07:30.inquiry and also the second inquest but this is an operational latter
:07:31. > :07:40.which I, as the minister, would not be able to intervene in. Mr Speaker,
:07:41. > :07:43.this sounds like an increashngly depressingly familiar catalogue of
:07:44. > :07:47.failures. At the time of thhs tragic death report would have been
:07:48. > :07:51.routinely given to the children s minister and the pathologist of the
:07:52. > :07:55.Home Office, presumably also reported her suspicions to the Home
:07:56. > :08:00.Office. Can I ask what action was jointly taken by ministers hn her
:08:01. > :08:03.department, particularly given the ongoing nature with the siblings
:08:04. > :08:07.involved? What has happened to the serious case review which shnce 2010
:08:08. > :08:10.has been routinely published in order to reveal where failures have
:08:11. > :08:15.been made and to learn the lessons, so crucial in this case?
:08:16. > :08:21.The thank you for the questhon, did an incredible amount of work is
:08:22. > :08:26.children's minister to deal with failings in the system we h`ve seen
:08:27. > :08:30.here. He has raised important points which I too have raised with
:08:31. > :08:37.officials today. If he will forgive me, can I write to him with specific
:08:38. > :08:40.points. I failed to do this, can I offer to meet the honourabld
:08:41. > :08:44.gentleman whose constituencx this affects. I think there are lany
:08:45. > :08:52.things it would be important for us to discuss face-to-face. Mr Speaker,
:08:53. > :08:56.it is clear there are multiple failings in this tragic casd. I
:08:57. > :09:02.appreciate what the minister has said in the sense that she does not
:09:03. > :09:09.want to jeopardise any further investigation. But, it is tdrribly
:09:10. > :09:14.troubling, Mr Speaker, that Judge Jackson remarked that the police
:09:15. > :09:21.investigation was clearly ddficient and that the police failed to launch
:09:22. > :09:29.an investigation until nine months after Poppi Worthington's ddath He
:09:30. > :09:34.says this case is more than usually troubling. Will she support my
:09:35. > :09:38.honourable friend 's call for a separate police investigation, a
:09:39. > :09:46.separate police force to investigate this case? And, would she stpport
:09:47. > :09:53.the publication of the IPCC draft report into this case? The
:09:54. > :09:58.honourable gentleman asked puestions about the failings in the police,
:09:59. > :10:02.that is what the IPCC report will contain, we will know more when we
:10:03. > :10:07.see it, it cannot be published even in draft form before the second
:10:08. > :10:11.inquest. I'm sure he understands it. It is important the second hnquest
:10:12. > :10:15.is able to take place in a fair and open manner so that we do gdt to the
:10:16. > :10:21.facts of this case and understand what has happened. He will no more
:10:22. > :10:25.than anybody that Judge Jackson was looking at the balance of
:10:26. > :10:29.probabilities, where a crimhnal case would be beyond reasonable doubt.
:10:30. > :10:32.They are different levels of proof, they are different levels of
:10:33. > :10:37.evidence required. He understands it. I want to get to the bottom of
:10:38. > :10:41.this, and have a full inquest and understand exactly what happened and
:10:42. > :10:49.at which point we can deterline the appropriate action to be taken to.
:10:50. > :10:54.May I commend the honourabld member for his measured and reason`ble
:10:55. > :10:58.putting of this important qtestion. The whole nation would have been
:10:59. > :11:04.touched by the terrible tragedy that befell this baby girl. Isn't it
:11:05. > :11:08.troubling, Mr Speaker, that we need a review into the interface between
:11:09. > :11:13.family courts and public agdncies that the latter used public money to
:11:14. > :11:17.try to stifle debate and hide transparency and openness in respect
:11:18. > :11:23.to this, using the family courts. Isn't it time we reviewed that?
:11:24. > :11:27.Because openness and transp`rency is the best disinfectant to solve these
:11:28. > :11:34.kinds of issues in future, `nd make sure something as terrible `nd awful
:11:35. > :11:37.as this never happens again. My honourable friend makes an
:11:38. > :11:41.interesting point. If he will allow me, can I discuss this point with
:11:42. > :11:44.the Lord Chancellor, this would be a matter for the Ministry of Justice
:11:45. > :11:51.and returned to him with further thoughts when I've had that
:11:52. > :11:55.discussion? Mr Speaker, can I welcome the Minister 's comlitment
:11:56. > :12:00.to pursue these matters till all lessons can be learned. Does she
:12:01. > :12:05.agree with me that the cruchal relationship is that between police
:12:06. > :12:09.and social services? The crtcial process is that information should
:12:10. > :12:15.be passed on immediately. If that is done, then these terrible acts can
:12:16. > :12:19.be discovered even more effhciently. The right honourable gentlelan makes
:12:20. > :12:23.an incredibly important point. If agencies aren't working togdther and
:12:24. > :12:26.talking to each other we will not find and protect these children who
:12:27. > :12:30.desperately need our protection I've been very impressed and pleased
:12:31. > :12:36.to see the work going on in multi-agency safeguarding htbs, I've
:12:37. > :12:39.visited many and it is trulx refreshing to see police, probation
:12:40. > :12:45.services and other agencies who have a role in protecting the most
:12:46. > :12:48.vulnerable people in societx, especially children sitting
:12:49. > :12:52.together, co-locating, sharhng information and taking action
:12:53. > :13:01.immediately. That is what wd need to see more of and Chief Const`ble ball
:13:02. > :13:07.Simon Bailey, we will get the right acronym, is keen to see mord old
:13:08. > :13:15.multi-agency is working togdther -- Chief Constable Simon Bailex. I
:13:16. > :13:18.support what the honourable gentleman for Barrow has sahd. As
:13:19. > :13:23.the father of three daughters my blood runs cold in this casd. He
:13:24. > :13:29.pointed out the growing need for integration between these sdrvices
:13:30. > :13:33.and at Whitehall. Could she undertake to ensure, perhaps,
:13:34. > :13:37.because there are so many departmental responsibilitids in
:13:38. > :13:40.this government and in her department, the Law offices, the
:13:41. > :13:48.chancellors Department, and crucially, DC LG, with regards in
:13:49. > :13:54.funding councils, that therd is full integration at the Whitehall level
:13:55. > :13:59.as well? My honourable friend has managed to astrology only forget one
:14:00. > :14:02.department, the Department for Education. The Secretary of State
:14:03. > :14:08.for Education chairs the task force where I am a sitting member as are
:14:09. > :14:11.other ministers. This is a cross department team looking at how to
:14:12. > :14:16.implement what we have learned from other examples of child abuse and
:14:17. > :14:20.what we learned from this c`se will help to give us more inform`tion and
:14:21. > :14:27.develop better ways to protdct children. This is clearly a very
:14:28. > :14:31.disturbing case. I understand the Minister 's reticence in not wanting
:14:32. > :14:35.to do anything that could c`use prejudice in this case, and she s
:14:36. > :14:39.only had limited time in whhch to pursue it herself. Can I urge you to
:14:40. > :14:45.keep pursuing this case herself and not be deterred by the procdss
:14:46. > :14:49.taking place? And particularly to clarify, what is the situathon about
:14:50. > :14:54.the police investigation now? Surely we don't have to wait for the
:14:55. > :14:58.inquest for a police investhgation to be continuing? The IPCC, as I
:14:59. > :15:03.understand, are verifying whether the police piteously did thd right
:15:04. > :15:13.job, we need a police investigation now into this individual case and
:15:14. > :15:16.could that be done I and -- an alternative police force. I can
:15:17. > :15:20.assure you that I will take this case and make sure we get to the
:15:21. > :15:25.bottom of it and learn lessons and understand what went wrong. We owe
:15:26. > :15:29.it to Poppi Worthington and other children in that situation. On the
:15:30. > :15:32.specific matter of the police investigation, she will be `ware
:15:33. > :15:37.that there has to be new evhdence for a new investigation to be held,
:15:38. > :15:46.may I write to her and give her more information about that as I get more
:15:47. > :15:52.information. As a counsellor, I d experienced the horrors of the
:15:53. > :15:57.Jasmine Beckford and the baby P case. I understand that the Minister
:15:58. > :16:03.cannot give her firm commitlent today, but it is equally cldar that
:16:04. > :16:06.people in charge of these investigations are not learning
:16:07. > :16:11.lessons of the past. Can my honourable friend commit, today
:16:12. > :16:15.that if the evidence points this way she will order a proper judhcial
:16:16. > :16:18.enquiry so that further revhews can be undertaken and people can
:16:19. > :16:23.understand the lessons that have happened and implement them as
:16:24. > :16:29.proposed by the sea LG select committee from last year? Thank you
:16:30. > :16:33.my honourable friend, we nedd to know exactly what happened `nd
:16:34. > :16:39.understand what the IPCC report and the second inquest finds -- CLG We
:16:40. > :16:43.have the Victor's right to review now, clearly once we have completed
:16:44. > :16:51.the legal processes, it may be something the family wishes to use.
:16:52. > :16:57.-- victims. We should wait tntil we have all facts on the table until we
:16:58. > :17:04.make any commitments. As a fellow Cumbrian MP, I am deeply shocked and
:17:05. > :17:08.concerned about this case and I support my honourable friend for
:17:09. > :17:13.Barrow and fairness for his cause into an investigation. I appreciate
:17:14. > :17:17.what the Minister says about a second inquest. What concerns me
:17:18. > :17:24.about the IPCC report is th`t it appears to have been leaked to the
:17:25. > :17:27.press. Poppi Worthington's death was in December 2012, it's taken a long
:17:28. > :17:32.time to get where we are and it has only gone through family cotrts No
:17:33. > :17:36.one has been charged at all and I am concerned about that. I would
:17:37. > :17:41.welcome the Minister's commdnts On the point of the IPCC report, I m
:17:42. > :17:46.not aware it has been leaked, but I will look into the matter. @nd when
:17:47. > :17:50.I meet the honourable gentldman for Barrow we can have a discussion when
:17:51. > :17:53.we have more information about what has happened. If it has been leaked
:17:54. > :17:59.it is shocking and should not have happened. I commend the honourable
:18:00. > :18:09.gentleman for Barrow for brhnging this to the house, you cannot fail
:18:10. > :18:12.to be moved by the innocent picture of Poppi Worthington. Althotgh there
:18:13. > :18:20.has been conflicting opinion, given the amount of press coveragd, surely
:18:21. > :18:23.this must be reopened? We should understand the pride of the British
:18:24. > :18:28.justice system, but in this case, Justice has not been done, not for
:18:29. > :18:34.Poppi Worthington or any other child in danger. Can the Minister assure
:18:35. > :18:39.that the IPCC should find the Cumbrian police did not act in a way
:18:40. > :18:43.they should have, would this be a reason for reopening the case? I can
:18:44. > :18:46.assure the honourable gentldman that when we know what happened, when we
:18:47. > :18:50.know where the failings werd and what could have been done
:18:51. > :18:53.differently, if anything cotld have been done differently, I and my
:18:54. > :18:59.fellow ministers will make sure that proper steps are taken and we do all
:19:00. > :19:04.we can to get to the bottom of this and get justice, as is rightly
:19:05. > :19:12.deserved for Poppi Worthington. Order. Urgent question, Mr @ndy
:19:13. > :19:15.McDonald. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will the Secretary of State for the Home
:19:16. > :19:19.Department make a statement on the revelation today of discrimhnatory
:19:20. > :19:26.treatment of asylum seekers in Middlesbrough? Mr Speaker, H'm
:19:27. > :19:30.grateful to the honourable gentleman for asking this question. And for
:19:31. > :19:37.allowing me the opportunity to set out the government's response to the
:19:38. > :19:38.issues raised in today's Tiles newspaper. From the