Parliament on T.V.

The 'live' weblink to watch Parliament T.V. for the committee on 'Localised child grooming' starting 2.45 this afternoon.

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=11839

Witnesses

Detective Superintendent Ian Critchley, Head of ACPO Child Sexual exploitation task force, and Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle, Greater Manchester Police
Cheryl Eastwood, former Executive Director, Children's Services, and Steve Garner, former Head of Children’s Social Care, Rochdale Borough Council

Written evidence to committee
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/121016%20LCG%20written%20evidence.pdf

Lets hope they all attend and not fall 'ill' like last time.

I wonder if many people in Rochdale will be watching it this afternoon.

I cant watch it live, but no doubt I may have a look at a reply to see what was discussed.

I will be watching

This afternoon session.
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=11839

Previous session transcript 9th November 2012
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmhaff/uc182-v/uc182-v.pdf

Takeaway that Takeaway.

From the Home Affairs Committee questioning this afternoon.

David Winnick: "What role did the media play in spotlighting this matter?"

Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle, Greater Manchester Police: "I think it's absolutely being taken more seriously. A very recent example from Rochdale, was regarding because of the heightened awareness, probably through the media in particular, young girls recognised themselves were at risk at a particular takeaway, they reported to their parents, who in turn had the confidence to report to police. That takeaway is now shut."

I can't understand why the council have allowed all these takeaways to open in the first place, there are far too many. On Milkstone Road for example there is a chippy next door to a chippy.

I apologise for digressing....I was just responding to Cyfrifia's post about 'taking away the takeaways'

Not really a digression, Poppyanna, quite near the heart of the matter. The police superintendent made a point of mentioning takeaways, and sounded pleased to be in process of having one shut down in Rochdale recently. I think she later mentioned licensing and control of takeaways and taxi firms as a police method for disruption of grooming gangs. I will look at the transcript when it appears to see exactly what was said.

Yes I saw that Cyfrifia, it was said that the takeaway had been closed down with a view to revoking their license permanently, from what I understood.

I think that taxi licensing is another matter that should be put under more scrutiny and, whilst i'm on the subject of taxi's, I wonder what has happened to our English taxi firms? there does appear to have been something of a monopoly taken place over recent years whereby most taxi companies are run by Asian's. I became aware of this recently when I tried to phone a taxi on the Friday that was EID as I and several other shoppers at my local supermarket were virtually abandoned outside the store as taxi services in Rochdale had almost ground to a halt for the celebrations.

If Greater Manchester Police run the co-ordinated, updated approach described by Superintendent Doyle for Rochdale, they will be working with (or keeping an eye on) the council departments that license, amongst other things, taxis and takeaways.

As to the takeaway that has recently been shut following information from young girls and their parents, if the concern and suspicion is enough to close the business, are the people suspected now under surveillance?

Probably a couple of days before yesterdays transcript appears on the Parliament website. If G.M.P. don't live up to what was said, the new police commissioner might hear about it.

The vast majority of taxi drivers and takeaways have no involvement whatsoever with grooming or any other criminal activity.
I am sure GMP keep an eye on those premises they think/know that are involved, in criminal activity, the danger is that they concentrate to much on such businesses.

Taxi driving involves working a lot of long hours for relatively poor money, none of which is guaranteed . Maybe that's why it seams more Muslims are involved with private hire than others. It's the same with corner shops.

It seams to me that the police have been very keen to divert the attention away from their significant failings in investigating the groomers in the first place.

Poppyanna555 wrote:
, whilst i'm on the subject of taxi's, I wonder what has happened to our English taxi firms?

There's always good old faithful Cozy Cars , isnt there Atlas?

UP THE DALE wrote:
I am sure GMP keep an eye on those premises they think/know that are involved, in criminal activity.

According to Superintendent Doyle, not in the case of child sexual exploitation or grooming, according to what she said, G.M.P. did not have either reliable or consistent definitions of grooming or even of child sexual exploitation, or cross references to be able to link individual cases in order to see patterns.

From what the council officers said, the same was true of their systems, lots of individual cases, but no effective communication or joining of dots to see a pattern or recognise a situation.

We are told updating of training and computer systems is now being put in place, in both police and council, and it will be needed. There are many more young victims of the child grooming gangs than have been in court or in the public eye, and many more men involved in the cases than have been charged, still around.

Charly wrote:

Poppyanna555 wrote:
, whilst i'm on the subject of taxi's, I wonder what has happened to our English taxi firms?

There's always good old faithful Cozy Cars , isnt there Atlas?

Indeed Charly. I started Cozy Cabs (originally called White Cabs) in 1969 and eventually sold it in 1975. It was run then for a number of years by the new owner before he sold it to an Asian chap, I think in 1980. I assume it is now run by an Asian family as most are in your neck of the woods. How good or efficient they are I have no idea. Perhaps you know better than I?

Simon Danczuk must have been watching the inquiry on parliament TV, he says, quote:

"Anyone watching the performances of Roger Ellis, Steve Garner and Cheryl Eastwood will wonder how on earth these people were given positions of power in our Borough to make such a mess of things.
Cheryl Eastwood came across as a particularly remote and out of touch director of children’s services, even admitting that she hadn’t met any victims of grooming in our town.
I’m glad all three people have now left our Council and can no longer do any more damage."