Child Abuse (North Wales)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:31 pm on 17 June 1996.

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Photo of Mr John Butcher Mr John Butcher , Coventry South West 3:31, 17 June 1996

Does my right hon. Friend recall the outcome of the inquiries that took place in the aftermath of the Orkney and Cleveland scandals? I feel quite nervous about the format that my right hon. Friend has proposed. When this format has been used in the past, and when local bureaucracies have been challenged by inquiries, no individual has been responsible for anything within those bureaucracies—no one was sacked, called to task or held responsible.

In the light of those inquiries, will my right hon. Friend give me an assurance that accountability in these inquiries will mean that people who have been incompetent or plain evil will be sacked or prosecuted? Accountability must come from individual accountability for actions. We do not want to hear about practices, procedures, guidelines and resources. The inquiry has to find people who did wrong.