Meeting of the Parliament 25 February 2026 [Draft]
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement.
Finally. We have been calling for a public inquiry on grooming gangs since my colleague, Liam Kerr, lodged an amendment in that regard in September last year. I note that the statement refers to the Government sharing the sense of urgency, but, to be clear, we are at this point only because of the relentless campaigning by victims groups and the continual questions that my Conservative colleagues have asked.
We have known for some time that victims have highlighted cross-border trafficking, and it is scandalous that they were not listened to before now. Every day that we have waited for an inquiry, another victim has gone without the justice that they deserve.
When pushed, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs asked Meghan Gallacher to make the case for a public inquiry and questioned what added value it would bring. I wonder what has happened to change the Government’s mind in that regard.
It is essential that the inquiry is independent, its terms of reference must be defined without further delay, and all institutions must be held accountable.
Cabinet secretary, your colleagues have misled the Parliament on the matter, so we must have absolute faith in the process and the inquiry’s findings. What are the inquiry’s parameters? Is anything off limits? What does the Government expect the timeframe to be for the report to be published for scrutiny? Will you provide MSPs with any additional evidence that has led to this U-turn? The inquiry will consider historical matters, but what immediate targeted support will be provided to police, social work and specialist child protection services to ensure for victims that there are no more cover-ups?