The Chair and Panel make the following recommendations, which arise directly from this investigation.
The Cabinet Office, the Forfeiture Committee, the government, political parties, other Westminster institutions and the Electoral Commission should publish their response to these recommendations, including the timetable involved, within six months of the publication of this report.
The criteria for forfeiture of all honours must be formally extended to include convictions, cautions and cases decided by trial of the facts involving offences of child sexual abuse. This must be set out in a published policy and procedure, which must include a clear policy on how forfeiture decisions are made public. The Inquiry expects the Forfeiture Committee to take a lead on this matter.
The Cabinet Office should re-examine the policy on posthumous forfeiture, in order to consider the perspectives of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
Government, political parties and other Westminster institutions must have whistleblowing policies and procedures which cover child sexual abuse and exploitation. Every employee must be aware that they can raise any concerns using these policies and that the policies are not limited to concerns specific to a person’s employment.
The Cabinet Office must ensure that each government department reviews its child safeguarding policy or policies in light of the expert witness report of Professor Thoburn.[1] There must also be published procedures to accompany their policies, in order that staff know how to enact their department’s policy. All government departments must update their safeguarding policies and procedures regularly, and obtain expert safeguarding advice when doing this.
All political parties registered with the Electoral Commission in England and Wales must ensure that they have a comprehensive safeguarding policy.
All political parties must also ensure that they have procedures to accompany their policies, in order that politicians, prospective politicians, staff and volunteers know how to enact their party’s policy, which must be published online. All political parties must update their policies and procedures regularly, and obtain expert safeguarding advice when doing this.
The Electoral Commission should monitor and oversee compliance with this recommendation.