Crime and Policing Bill - mandatory reporting duty of child sexual abuse: impact assessment - RPC opinion (green-rated)
Regulatory Policy Committee opinion on the Home Office's impact assessment (IA) for the mandatory reporting duty of child sexual abuse proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill
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This proposal introduces a mandatory reporting duty to report suspected child sexual abuse in England, and a criminal offence for anyone found obstructing a reporter from fulfilling this duty.
Opinion on first submitted IA - originally published 9 April 2025
The IA provides a reasonable rationale for intervention to address the under-reporting of child sexual abuse, drawing on a recommendation from the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. The assessment focuses on the preferred mandatory reporting option against do nothing. However, it must incorporate more evidence, such as from the inquiry, including specific international evidence. Key elements of the evidence base must be in the assessment itself, to bring together the evidence and analysis in one place, to justify the assessment.
This assessment is not fit for purpose; red-rated. This IA has not been published by the Home Office.
Opinion on second submitted IA - published 27 June 2025
The Home Office redrafted and submitted a second IA for scrutiny.
The IA now provides a good rationale for intervention, to address the underreporting of abuse, with quantitative international evidence of the policy’s success. The IA focuses on the preferred mandatory reporting option, against do nothing, drawing on a recommendation from the Inquiry. The IA monetises expected impacts on the criminal justice system and provides a reasonable assessment for small and micro businesses.
The regulatory scorecard is still “weak” as the department does not estimate the scale of the benefits, and should re-examine this, to balance out the net effect of the policy.
The IA is now green; fit for purpose.
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