Angela Constance not present to answer question on grooming gangs

Angela Constance was not present in the Scottish Parliament chamber to answer an Urgent Question on what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that she misrepresented Professor Alexis Jay’s comments around a grooming gang inquiry.  

Constance said during a debate in September that the child protection expert did not support further inquiries into child sexual abuse. 

Conservative MSP Liam Kerr, who asked the question, said he was “surprised” the justice secretary wasn’t in the chamber to answer accusations she had “misrepresented” the views of Jay, who led the public inquiry into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal and Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in England and Wales.

Answering in her absence, children’s minister Natalie Don-Innes said that Constance was “travelling on Scottish Government business”. 

The Urgent Question follows comments by Labour MP Joani Reid that the justice secretary should publicly apologise for “misrepresenting” Jay’s comments during the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.  

Don-Innes said Constance had “raised awareness of the work led by Professor Alexis Jay”, adding that she “noted specifically” that Jay had chaired an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, and had put on record in the past that in regard to tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation ‘people should just get on with it’”. 

The minutes from the Scottish Government’s National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group meeting in October, of which Jay is a member, stated: “During the debate on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill in Parliament on 16 September, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice quoted the views of Professor Alexis Jay on calls for further inquiries into child sexual abuse. 

“Co-chair clarified that Professor Jay shared these views in January of this year in the context of her work on the Independent Inquiry in England and Wales and was not related to the debate on the Victims Bill or the position in Scotland.” 

The children’s minister continued: “Professor Jay minuted at the strategic group meeting in October that the quote was correct and was from January and not made in relation to the amendment to the Victims Bill. 

“Ms Constance did not state that Professor Jay was speaking directly about the amendment [lodged by Kerr to compel the newly established Victims and Witnesses Commissioner to undertake a report to consider whether further action was required in relation to Scottish grooming gangs], she made a general point on Professor Jay’s views on calls for inquiries and that she also wanted to get on with the work needed to protect our children.”  

Kerr described her answer as “more sophistry”, but added, “this is really about the victims of this most heinous, most vicious of crimes”.  

He said, “victims deserve answers and they deserve justice” and reiterated calls for a full inquiry into Scottish grooming gangs. 

The Scottish Government has been pressed by opposition MSPs in recent months to back a national inquiry into grooming gangs, similar to that in England and Wales, but has refused to do so to this point. 

Don-Innes said the Scottish Government “takes this matter very seriously” and said “we are prepared to give considerations to a grooming gang inquiry” but added: “We need to be clear that is the best use of time and resources, or if there are other steps that will be more impactful for the victims and those people affected.” 

Reacting to Constance’s absence, Reid posted on social media: “Where was the minister? What is more important than organised child sex abuse?  

“I've tried not to make this personal and give the Scottish Gov space to do the right thing. But this is now bordering on contempt for survivors. It's clear they never sought Prof Jay's views because they fear she'd say their response is inadequate, and echo the view held by many experts that we need an independent review to understand the scale of the problem.”