Home secretary insists five local grooming gang inquiries will go ahead - and more could follow
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It follows a row over whether Labour is still committed to the five local inquiries it promised in January, after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips failed to provide an update on them in a statement to parliament hours before it closed for recess on Tuesday.
Instead, Ms Phillips told MPs that local authorities will be able to access a £5m fund to support locally-led work on grooming gangs.
On Thursday morning, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted the " victim-centred, locally-led inquiries " will still go ahead, while a Home Office source told Sky News more could take place in addition to the five.
Speaking to Sky News' Rob Powell later on Thursday, Sir Keir confirmed that there could be more inquiries than those five but said the government must also " get on and implement the recommendations we've already got ".
