Record funding to tackle grooming gangs and child sex abuse

The UK Government has unveiled “a record” £100 million package to intensify the fight against grooming gangs and child sexual abuse, marking one of the most significant national safeguarding investments in recent years. The funding is designed to reopen historic cases, expand intelligence‑led policing and strengthen national operations targeting organised exploitation networks.

The Home Office confirmed that the package includes £38 million for Operation Beaconport — a tenfold increase enabling the National Crime Agency and police forces to revisit closed cases and pursue offenders who previously escaped justice. A further £9.3 million will expand the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, giving every police force access to advanced AI‑driven tools capable of analysing large datasets and identifying patterns between suspects. Another £11.7 million will support the Undercover Child Abuse Online Network, which has already safeguarded more than 1,700 children in a single year.

Although the announcement does not explicitly reference licensing, the connection is well established. Major grooming gang investigations over the past decade have repeatedly exposed vulnerabilities in licensing‑regulated sectors — particularly taxis, private hire vehicles, takeaways and late‑night venues. In several high‑profile cases, licensed drivers were used to transport victims, and licensed premises were identified as locations where grooming and exploitation took place. Local authority licensing teams have since become recognised safeguarding partners, with statutory duties to prevent crime and disorder and to share intelligence with police.

Given the scale and purpose of the new funding, licensing will inevitably be drawn further into multi‑agency safeguarding work. As police forces gain enhanced capabilities to identify exploitation patterns, licensing data, operator records, compliance histories and enforcement intelligence will become increasingly important in identifying risks and preventing harm. This aligns with previous national reviews, including the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which highlighted the need for stronger information‑sharing between regulatory bodies.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described grooming gangs as “one of the darkest moments in our country’s history” and pledged that perpetrators “will be held to account” as closed cases are reopened and new intelligence tools come online. For licensing practitioners, operators and regulators, the message is unmistakable: licensing is safeguarding, and this record funding will strengthen the role licensing plays in preventing future victims.