To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the actions arising from the research into Historical Clerical Child Abuse.

Mrs Little-Pengelly

First, we acknowledge the significant and long-term impact that clerical child abuse has had on victims and survivors and express our sincere sympathy with all those who have been impacted on. We have been carefully considering the research reports. As the Member will appreciate, it is an important, complex and sensitive issue. We are working with officials to explore a number of possible ways forward. That includes support for victims and survivors, improvements to current safeguarding mechanisms and any further action.

Mrs Little-Pengelly

The reports are significant and lengthy, and they contain a range of observations rather than conclusions, at times. However, they are all very useful in our consideration of the way forward. We decided some time back to commission the research reports because there was a lot that was not known about the issues. The reports definitely give us a better understanding of the complexity of the framework and context. I do not have any particular principled objection to the publication of the reports. However, I advise the Member that they were commissioned not necessarily for publication but to inform the process. We are actively considering that at the moment, because I know that people want to see what is in the reports. That is why we have not published to date, but we are making sure that the issue of publication is part of our consideration.

Mrs Mason

Will the deputy First Minister detail what meetings and engagements have taken place on historical clerical child abuse since the completion of the three research reports and on the independent working group's recommendations?

Mrs Little-Pengelly

Yes, of course. We meet officials regularly, and we will do so this week to discuss further the scoping out of a potential way forward. We met on 23 September 2025 to discuss the three research reports. We also met the independent chair on 10 November 2025, and it was a very useful meeting with lots of detail and lots of questions about that important piece of work. We also discussed the issue with the Chief Constable in a meeting in early December 2025. I can assure the Member that there is constant discussion about it. Indeed, the First Minister and I discussed it again just this morning. We are very conscious that there is an expectation and desire out there, and we want to find a way through that best gives victims and survivors the opportunity for truth and justice.

Mr Harvey

As with HIA and truth recovery, it is vital that victims and survivors are at the core of our work on historical clerical child abuse. What has been the contribution of victims and survivors to the process to date?

Mrs Little-Pengelly

I thank the Member for his important question. At the heart of all that we do must be those most impacted on: the victims and survivors. We acknowledge and put on record that it is incredibly difficult for those who have suffered at times horrendous abuse to come forward and share their story and their reflections to help inform the work and a way forward. I say a huge "Thank you" to all who have done so. There has been participation with the independent chair to inform some of that work, and I know that the junior Ministers have met victims and survivors through the forum on a number of occasions. In addition, many hundreds of victims and survivors came forward to contribute to the research reports. We genuinely thank all of them for that. Their contribution has been invaluable to our considerations. Victims and survivors have absolutely been at the heart of everything that we have done so far.

Mr Speaker

We move on to topical questions.