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.
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