Jo Churchill MP: “I ask my Right Honourable Friend what he is going to do to tackle the exploitation of children?”

On Wednesday 24th June Jo Churchill MP asked her first question in Prime Minister’s Question Time.

Mrs Churchill asked the Prime Minister what efforts are being taken to address the exploitation of children.

Mrs Churchill said: “Over the past few years we have seen some horrendous examples of children being sexually exploited. As a mother, I ask my Right Honourable Friend what he is going to do to tackle the exploitation of children?”

The Prime Minister responded: “Let me welcome my Honorouble Friend. She is absolutely right to raise this. What we saw happen in Rotherham, Rochdale and in my own city of Oxford was absolutely horrific. Steps are being taken by the police and social services to deal with it much better in future, and there have recently been some very important prosecutions, for instance in Oxfordshire. But I am not satisfied with the progress, so I have asked the Education Secretary to chair a new child protection taskforce to drive fundamental reforms to improve the protection of vulnerable children. I want us to bring the vigour and emphasis on quality that we have brought to education to the area of social work.”

Following the debate, Mrs Churchill said: “I am very pleased to have been able to raise the issue of what this Government is going to do about child exploitation directly with the Prime Minister. I look forward to seeing the protection taskforce deliver the reforms necessary to improve child protection nationwide.”

ENDS