The home secretary has announced a plan for government-backed local inquiries into grooming gangs.
Four new inquiries, in addition to one already agreed in Oldham, will be funded and assisted by central government.
They will be advised by Tom Crowther KC, who led the Telford grooming gang inquiry published in 2022.
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However, Sky News understands the inquiries will not have the power to summon witnesses to give evidence, as the Labour Rotherham MP Sarah Champion had pushed for.
The evidence gathered is not expected to be fed back to the Home Office for a national response.
There will also be a short national report which will bring together data gathered so far on grooming gangs and consider lessons that should be learnt at a national level.
The “rapid audit” is set to only take three months and will be overseen by Baroness Casey, who is also leading an independent commission into adult social care.
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As part of the plans, the government will also encourage police forces to reopen cold cases, and victims to come forward with historical cases.
Ms Cooper’s announcement comes a fortnight after the grooming gangs scandal returned to the headlines after it emerged safeguarding minister Jess Phillips rejected calls from Oldham Council for a government inquiry into historical grooming gangs in the town, with Ms Phillips saying the council should lead an inquiry instead.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and close ally of US president-elect Donald Trump, jumped on the news and attacked both Ms Phillips and Sir Keir Starmer for his response to the scandal while he was director of public prosecutions.
The prime minister hit back at Mr Musk, saying his record shows how he tackled the issue head-on.
Opposition MPs have called for a national inquiry but the government has said there already was one – carried out by Professor Alexis Jay – that took seven years and was published in 2022.
She made 20 recommendations which had not been enacted until the Labour government put some into place over the past fortnight.
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