1. Definition of scope
The Westminster investigation is an overarching inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation involving people of public prominence associated with Westminster.
The scope of this investigation is as follows:
“1. The Inquiry will investigate allegations of child sexual abuse involving current and/or former Members of Parliament, senior civil servants, government advisors, and/or members of the intelligence agencies (collectively ‘people of public prominence associated with Westminster’), including allegations:
1.1. that people of public prominence associated with Westminster were involved in the sexual abuse of children;
1.2. that Ministers, party whips, political parties, the intelligence and/or security services, law enforcement agencies, and/or prosecuting authorities were aware of the involvement of people of public prominence associated with Westminster in the sexual abuse of children, and failed to take adequate steps to prevent any such abuse from occurring and/or took steps to prevent such abuse from being revealed;
1.3. that there was, within the highest levels of government, a culture of tolerance towards those suspected of child sexual abuse; and/or
1.4. that people of public prominence associated with Westminster were involved in a conspiracy sexually to abuse children.
2. In light of the above investigations, the Inquiry will consider:
2.1. the adequacy and propriety of law enforcement investigations into allegations falling within paragraph 1 above, including consideration of whether there is evidence of inappropriate interference in any such investigations by politicians, the intelligence agencies, and/or other individuals or bodies holding statutory power;
2.2. the media reporting of allegations falling within paragraph 1 above, including consideration of whether the current legislative framework strikes an appropriate balance between encouraging the reporting of child sexual abuse and protecting the rights of the accused; and
2.3. the adequacy of existing safeguarding and child protection policies in place within political parties, in government departments and agencies, and in the intelligence and security agencies.
3. In light of the investigations set out above, the Inquiry will publish a report setting out its findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve child protection and safeguarding in England and Wales.”[1]
2. Core participants and legal representatives
Counsel to this investigation:
Complainant core participants:
RO-A1, RO-A2, RO-A4, RO-A5, RO-A6, RO-A7, RO-A8 | |
---|---|
Solicitor | Richard Scorer and Kim Harrison (Slater & Gordon) |
Independent core participants:
Timothy Hulbert | |
---|---|
Counsel | Sam Stein QC |
Solicitor | David Enright (Howe & Co) |
Esther Baker | |
Counsel | Jonathan Price |
Solicitor | Peter Garsden (Simpson Millar) |
Harvey Proctor | |
Counsel | Geoffrey Robertson QC and Adam Wagner |
Solicitor | Mark Stephens CBE (Howard Kennedy) |
Institutional core participants:
Crown Prosecution Service | |
---|---|
Counsel | Zoe Johnson QC |
Solicitor | Laura Tams (Crown Prosecution Service Inquiries Team) |
Independent Office for Police Conduct | |
Counsel | Lorna Skinner |
Solicitor | Rachel Taylor (Senior Lawyer, Independent Office for Police Conduct) |
Home Office | |
Counsel | Nick Griffin QC and Amelia Walker |
Solicitor | Daniel Rapport (Government Legal Department for the Treasury Solicitor) |
Labour Party | |
Counsel | Eleanor Grey QC |
Solicitor | Gerald Shamash (Steel and Shamash Solicitors, now Edwards Duthie Shamash) |
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis | |
Counsel | Samantha Leek QC and Jonathan Dixey |
Solicitor | Metropolitan Police Service’s Directorate of Legal Services |
Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police | |
Counsel | Anne Studd QC |
Solicitor | Susan Dauncey (Force Solicitor of Wiltshire Police) |
3. Evidence received by the Inquiry
Number of witness statements obtained: |
---|
141 |
Organisations and individuals to which requests for documentation or witness statements were sent: |
Adam Richardson, United Kingdom Independence Party |
Reverend Alan Francis Davies, former Principal within the Home Office Voluntary Services Unit |
Alan Mabbutt OBE, the Conservative Party |
Detective Inspector Alastair Pocock, Metropolitan Police Service |
Alice Hurrell, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
Andrew Surplice, retired Inspector with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Anthony Daly, complainant witness |
Baron Foster of Bishop Auckland PC DL |
Baron Renton of Mount Harry PC |
Baron Young of Cookham CH PC |
Baroness Brinton, Liberal Democrats |
Baroness Manningham-Buller LG DCB, former Director General of the Security Services |
Baroness Taylor of Bolton |
Barry Strevens, retired Detective Chief Inspector and former Personal Protection Officer to Baroness Thatcher LG OM DStJ PC FRS HonFRSC |
Bradley Finn, civil servant (secretariat to the Independent Review conducted by Messrs Wanless and Whittam QC) |
Bryan Collins, retired officer with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Carmel Vega, Attorney General’s Office |
Caroline Rowe, Home Office |
Commander Catherine Roper, Metropolitan Police Service |
Catherine Vaughan, Department for International Trade |
Charu Gorasia, Home Office |
Christine Hewitt, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government |
Christine Russell, former Member of Parliament |
Christopher Horne, former Conservative councillor |
Christopher Mahaffey, Independent Office for Police Conduct |
Claire McCarthy, General Secretary of the Co-operative Party |
Clare Moriarty, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs |
Clive Blackford, former police officer |
Corey Stoughton, Liberty |
David Ford Campbell-Chalmers |
Sir David Trippier, former Member of Parliament |
David Williams, Department of Health & Social Care |
David Wilson, former editor of the Surrey Comet |
Detective Chief Superintendent Denise Worth, Cheshire Constabulary |
Des Wilson, former politician |
Dominic Carman, former politician |
Don Hale, journalist |
Edwina Currie Jones, former politician |
Frances Mowatt, former agent to Peter Morrison MP |
Gareth Clubb, Plaid Cymru |
Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson, British Transport Police |
GCHQ |
Brigadier Geoffrey Dodds OBE, Secretary of the Defence and Security Advisory Committee (DSMA) |
Geth Williams, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales |
Gillian McGregor, Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland |
Chief Inspector Glen Lloyd, Operation Winter Key, Metropolitan Police Service |
Glyn Williams, Home Office |
Grahame Nicholls, former Secretary of the Chester Trades Union Council |
Gregor McGill, Director of Legal Services, Crown Prosecution Service |
Gyles Brandreth, former politician |
Helen MacNamara, Cabinet Office |
Hilton Tims, former journalist |
Howard Groves, former Detective Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Ian Hodgkinson, Royal Voluntary Service |
Ian Lucas, former Member of Parliament |
Ian McNicol, Labour Party |
Jane Lee, former Secretary of the Gresford and Rossett branch of the Labour Party |
Jennie Formby, Labour Party |
Jennifer Hutton, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government |
Jeremy Naunton, former senior lawyer in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (now the Crown Prosecution Service) |
Jessica Bailey, former employee of the Liberal Democrat Party |
John Beggs, Ulster Unionist Party |
John Mann MP |
John Moore, Ulster Unionist Party |
Sir Jonathan Stephens KBE, Cabinet Office |
Detective Sergeant Julie Gallagher, Northamptonshire Police |
Katy Willison, Department for Education |
Keith Mitchell and Jeremy Clarke CBE, Trustees of the Albany Trust |
Kenneth Clarke CH QC MP |
Kirsten Oswald, Scottish National Party |
Leo Adamson, former member of PIE |
Liz Reason, Green Party |
London School of Economics and Political Sciences (Archives and Special Collections) |
Lord Alton of Liverpool |
Lord Arbuthnot of Erdom |
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO |
Lord Beith |
Lord Goodlad KCMG |
Lord Hamilton of Epsom |
Lord Jopling DL |
Lord Newby OBE, Liberal Democrats |
Lord Ryder of Wensum OBE |
Lord Steel of Aikwood KT KBE PC |
Lord Taverne QC |
Lord Tebbit CH |
Lord Wakeham DL |
Malcolm Sinclair, former police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Mark Byers, Northern Ireland Office |
Martyn Smith, Ulster Unionist Party |
Matt Browne, Green Party |
Mervyn Thomas, Cabinet Office |
MI5 |
Michael Box, former Head of the Secretariat to the Independent Review conducted by Messrs Wanless and Whittam QC |
Michael Meadowcroft, former Member of Parliament |
Michelle Crotty, Attorney General’s Office |
Mike Nesbitt, Ulster Unionist Party |
Sir Murdo Maclean, former Private Secretary to the government chief whip |
Naomi Ryan, Attorney General’s Office |
Commander Neil Jerome, Metropolitan Police Service |
Neil Taylor, Office of the Advocate for Scotland |
Neil Wooding, Ministry of Justice |
Nicholas Brown MP |
Nick Joyce, Department for Transport |
Operation Hydrant: All police branches |
Operation Hydrant: Special Branch police units |
Patricia Green, former Liberal Party activist |
Paul Connew, former police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Paul Foulston, former police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Paul Holmes, former police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Paul Settle, retired Detective Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Peter Batey, former Private Secretary to Sir Edward Heath |
Peter Jones, Foreign & Commonwealth Office |
Peter McKelvie, retired social worker |
Peter Schofield, Department for Work & Pensions |
Peter Taylor, Department for International Development |
Peter Wanless and Richard Whittam QC, independent reviewers of two Home Office commissioned reviews held in connection with child abuse from 1979 to 1999 |
Philip Rycroft, Department for Exiting the European Union |
Lieutenant General Richard Edward Nugee, Ministry of Defence |
Detective Superintendent Richard Fewkes, National Coordinator, Operation Hydrant |
Richard Mallender, Green Party |
Robert Glen, retired Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Robert Montagu, complainant witness |
Roger Smethurst, Cabinet Office |
Ruth Appleton, Her Majesty’s Treasury |
Secret Intelligence Service |
Sheridan Whalley, Department for Education |
Simon Danczuk, former Member of Parliament |
Social Democratic and Labour Party |
Stephen Aiken OBE, Ulster Unionist Party |
Detective Superintendent Stephen Kirby, Wiltshire Police |
Dame Sue Owen, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
Susan Hogg, former diary secretary to Peter Morrison MP |
Susan Simpson, retired Inspector with the Metropolitan Police Service |
Lady Sylvia Hermon MP |
Timothy Hulbert, core participant |
Timothy Johnston, Chief Executive of the Democratic Unionist Party |
Tom O’Carroll, former Chairman of PIE |
Detective Chief Inspector Tony Hopkins, Northamptonshire Police |
William Ross, Ulster Unionist Party |
WM-A120, complainant witness |
4. Disclosure of documents
Total number of pages disclosed: | 19,399 |
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5. Public hearings including preliminary hearings
Preliminary hearings | |
---|---|
1 | 31 January 2018 |
2 | 20 October 2018 |
Public hearings | |
Days 1–5 | 4 March to 8 March 2019 |
Days 6–10 | 11 March to 15 March 2019 |
Days 11–15 | 25 March to 29 March 2019 |
6. List of witnesses
Surname | Forename | Title | Called, read, adduced or published | Hearing day |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mahaffey | Christopher | Mr | Called | 1, 2, 4, 5, 12 |
Roper | Catherine | Commander | Called | 1, 2, 5, 12 |
Taverne | Dick | Lord | Called | 2 |
Tebbit | Norman | Lord | Adduced | 2 |
Daly | Anthony | Mr | Adduced | 2 |
Groves | Howard | Mr | Called | 3 |
Surplice | Andrew | Mr | Called | 3 |
Glen | Robert | Mr | Called | 3 |
Foulston | Paul | Mr | Called | 3 |
Simpson | Susan | Ms | Adduced | 3 |
Kirby | Steve | Detective Superintendent | Called | 4 |
Sinclair | Malcolm | Mr | Called | 4 |
Holmes | Paul | Mr | Called | 4 |
Jerome | Neil | Commander | Called | 4 |
Settle | Paul | Mr | Adduced | 4, 12 |
Hale | Don | Mr | Called | 5 |
Dodds | Geoffrey | Brigadier | Called | 5 |
O’Carroll | Thomas | Mr | Adduced | 5 |
Lucas | Ian | Mr | Adduced | 5, 15 |
Green | Patricia | Ms | Adduced | 5 |
Richardson | Gary | Detective Superintendent | Adduced | 5 |
Mowatt | Frances | Ms | Called | 6 |
Nicholls | Grahame | Mr | Called | 6 |
Lee | Jane | Ms | Called | 6 |
Russell | Christine | Ms | Called | 6 |
MI5 Witness | Called | 6 | ||
Worth | Denise | Deputy Chief Superintendent | Adduced | 6 |
Pocock | Alastair | Detective Inspector | Adduced | 6 |
Currie Jones | Edwina | Ms | Adduced | 6 |
Hogg | Susan | Ms | Called | 7 |
Manningham-Buller | Eliza | Baroness | Called | 7 |
Armstrong | Robert | Lord | Called | 7 |
Brandreth | Gyles | Mr | Called | 7 |
Connew | Paul | Mr | Adduced | 7 |
Strevens | Barry | Mr | Adduced | 7 |
Hamilton | Archibald | Lord | Adduced | 7 |
Brinton | Sarah | Baroness | Called | 8 |
Wilson | Des | Mr | Called | 8 |
Steel | David | Lord | Called | 8 |
Carman | Dominic | Mr | Adduced | 8 |
Alton | David | Lord | Adduced | 8 |
Reason | Liz | Ms | Called | 9 |
MacNamara | Helen | Ms | Called | 9 |
Browne | Matt | Mr | Adduced | 9 |
Clarke | Kenneth | Mr | Called | 10 |
Jopling | Thomas | Lord | Called | 10 |
Arbuthnot | James | Lord | Called | 10 |
Brown | Nicholas | Mr | Called | 10 |
Maclean | Murdo | Sir | Called | 10 |
Young | George | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Beith | Alan | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Foster | Derek | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Goodlad | Alastair | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Ryder | Richard | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Taylor | Ann | Baroness | Adduced | 10 |
Wakeham | John | Lord | Adduced | 10 |
Box | Michael | Mr | Called | 11 |
Hulbert | Timothy | Mr | Called | 11 |
Davies | Alan | Reverend | Adduced | 11 |
Stoughton | Corey | Ms | Adduced | 11 |
Vega | Carmel | Ms | Adduced | 11 |
Fewkes | Richard | Detective Superintendent | Adduced | 11 |
Hodgkinson | Ian | Mr | Adduced | 11 |
Wanless | Peter | Mr | Adduced | 11 |
Whittam | Richard | Mr | Adduced | 11 |
Clarke | Jeremy | Mr | Called | 12 |
Thoburn | June | Professor | Called | 12 |
SIS Witness | Called | 12 | ||
Montagu | Robert | Mr | Called | 13 |
Collins | Bryan | Mr | Called | 13 |
Naunton | Jeremy | Mr | Called | 13 |
McGill | Gregor | Mr | Called | 13 |
Danczuk | Simon | Mr | Adduced | 13 |
McKelvie | Peter | Mr | Adduced | 13 |
Gallagher | Julie | Detective Sergeant | Adduced | 13 |
Hopkins | Tony | Detective Chief Inspector | Adduced | 13 |
Horne | Christopher | Mr | Adduced | 15 |
Trippier | David | Sir | Adduced | 15 |
Batey | Peter | Mr | Adduced | 15 |
GCHQ | Published | N/A | ||
Stephens | Jonathan | Sir | Published | N/A |
WM-A120 | Published | N/A |
7. Restriction orders
On 23 March 2018, the Chair issued an updated restriction order under section 19(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005, granting general anonymity to all core participants who allege they are the victim and survivor of sexual offences (referred to as ‘complainant core participants’). The order prohibited:
This order meant that any complainant core participant within this investigation was granted anonymity, unless they did not wish to remain anonymous. That order was amended on 23 March 2018, but only to vary the circumstances in which a complainant core participant may themselves disclose their own core participant status.[2]
On 4 February 2019, the Chair issued a restriction order under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 to prohibit the disclosure or publication of certain information contained within MI5’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy, which is exhibited to the statement of the MI5 witness.[3]
On 8 February 2019, the Chair issued a restriction order under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 to prohibit the disclosure or publication of the identity of the MI5, SIS and GCHQ officers who had provided written evidence to the Inquiry and gave evidence at the public hearings in connection with this investigation and who were referred to during the course of evidence adduced during the Inquiry’s proceedings.[4]
On 4 March 2019, the Chair issued a restriction order under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 to prohibit the disclosure or publication of information which is capable of identifying WM-A9 as specified at paragraph 2(a) of the Order.[5]
On 5 March 2019, the Chair issued a restriction order under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 to prohibit the disclosure or publication of the name of any individual whose identity has been redacted or ciphered by the Inquiry, and any information redacted as irrelevant and sensitive, in connection with this investigation and referred to during the course of evidence adduced during the Inquiry’s proceedings.[6]
8. Broadcasting
The Chair directed that the proceedings would be broadcast, as has occurred in respect of public hearings in other investigations.
9. Redactions and ciphering
The material obtained for this phase of the investigation was redacted and, where appropriate, ciphers were applied, in accordance with the Inquiry’s Protocol on the Redaction of Documents (the Protocol).[7] This meant that (in accordance with Annex A of the Protocol), for example, absent specific consent to the contrary, the identities of complainants and victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and other children were redacted; and if the Inquiry considered that their identity appeared to be sufficiently relevant to the investigation, a cipher was applied.
Pursuant to the Protocol, the identities of individuals convicted of child sexual abuse (including those who have accepted a police caution for offences related to child sexual abuse) were not generally redacted unless the naming of the individual would risk the identification of their victim, in which case a cipher would be applied.
The Protocol also addresses the position in respect of individuals accused, but not convicted, of child sexual or other physical abuse against a child, and provides that their identities should be redacted and a cipher applied. However, where the allegations against an individual are so widely known that redaction would serve no meaningful purpose (for example where the individual’s name has been published in the regulated media in connection with allegations of abuse), the Protocol provides that the Inquiry may decide not to redact their identity.
Finally, the Protocol recognises that, while the Inquiry will not distinguish as a matter of course between individuals who are known or believed to be deceased and those who are or are believed to be alive, the Inquiry may take the fact that an individual is deceased into account when considering whether or not to apply redactions in a particular instance.
The Protocol anticipates that it may be necessary for core participants to be aware of the identity of individuals whose identity has been redacted and in respect of whom a cipher has been applied, if the same is relevant to their interest in the investigation.
10. Warning letters
Rule 13 of the Inquiry Rules 2006 provides:
“(1) The chairman may send a warning letter to any person –
a. he considers may be, or who has been, subject to criticism in the inquiry proceedings; or
b. about whom criticism may be inferred from evidence that has been given during the inquiry proceedings; or
c. who may be subject to criticism in the report, or any interim report.
(2) The recipient of a warning letter may disclose it to his recognised legal representative.
(3) The inquiry panel must not include any explicit or significant criticism of a person in the report, or in any interim report, unless –
a. the chairman has sent that person a warning letter; and
b. the person has been given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the warning letter.”
In accordance with rule 13, warning letters were sent as appropriate to those who were covered by the provisions of rule 13, and the Chair and Panel considered the responses to those letters before finalising the report.