First inquiry sites named as peers press ministers on taxi‑licensing failures linked to grooming gangs

The Government has confirmed the first locations to be examined under the new Independent Inquiry into Group‑Based Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), as peers in the House of Lords used a separate debate to warn that weak taxi and private hire licensing regimes continue to leave children at risk.

According to the BBC report, the inquiry — chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, who led the Rotherham investigation — will begin work in Bradford, Rochdale and Telford, three areas repeatedly cited in previous reviews into systemic failures around grooming gangs. The inquiry will examine how local agencies responded, what patterns of offending were missed, and how safeguarding systems can be strengthened.

Ministers said the inquiry’s early focus reflects “the scale and seriousness” of past failings in those towns, with further locations to be announced as the programme expands.

On the same day, the House of Lords held a debate on the Government’s response to the Casey National Audit on CSE. Several peers highlighted that taxi and private hire licensing was repeatedly identified in past grooming cases as a critical vulnerability, with offenders using vehicles to access, transport or control victims.

Baroness Brinton and others pressed ministers on why national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing — promised after multiple inquiries — have still not been implemented. Peers argued that inconsistent local rules, variable DBS checking regimes, and limited enforcement powers continue to create “loopholes that offenders can and do exploit”.

Responding for the Government, Home Office ministers pointed to forthcoming reforms under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, which introduces powers to set national licensing standards for drivers, vehicles and operators. They also referenced the draft Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill, which is expected to include:

• A national database of licence holders
• Stronger cross‑border enforcement powers
• Requirements ensuring drivers are licensed where they actually work

However, peers warned that until these measures are fully implemented, the same weaknesses highlighted in Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford remain present in parts of England.

The announcement of the inquiry’s first investigation sites has sharpened political focus on the role of licensing authorities. Several Lords speakers argued that the inquiry’s findings will inevitably intersect with taxi‑licensing failures, given their prominence in previous CSE cases.

Campaigners say that without robust, consistent national standards — and the ability for councils to act swiftly on safeguarding intelligence — the risks identified more than a decade ago will persist.

The inquiry will begin evidence‑gathering in the three named areas over the coming months. Meanwhile, ministers say consultations on national taxi and PHV standards will be launched later this year, with legislation to follow.

Peers across the House urged the Government to ensure that licensing reform progresses in parallel with the inquiry, warning that “lessons learned” must finally translate into “lessons applied”.