Inquiry to examine licensing regimes as part of grooming gangs investigation

The Government’s Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs has confirmed that licensing systems — including taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing — are among the areas it may scrutinise as it examines institutional responses to group‑based child sexual exploitation.

The Inquiry’s terms of reference empower investigators to consider whether local authority licensing regimes contributed to risk, failed to prevent offending, or missed opportunities to intervene. While the document does not single out any specific authority or sector, it explicitly includes licensing alongside policing, social care, education and other safeguarding bodies.

Licensing has been a recurring theme in previous high‑profile grooming gang cases, where taxis were sometimes used to transport victims. As a result, the Inquiry may assess whether:

– fit‑and‑proper person tests were robust and consistently applied
– licensing authorities had adequate intelligence‑sharing arrangements with police and safeguarding partners
– enforcement activity was sufficient to identify or remove unsuitable drivers
– wider licensing functions — such as alcohol and entertainment licensing — created environments where risks were not properly managed

The terms of reference do not make findings or propose reforms. Instead, they establish the Inquiry’s scope, allowing it to examine whether weaknesses in licensing oversight played a role in enabling offenders or limiting the ability of authorities to act.