John Swinney to face FMQs after ordering a grooming gangs evidence review

John Swinney will face First Minister’s Questions after ordering a review into the handling of grooming gangs complaints in Scotland.

The Scottish Government announced the review, which will be led by an independent expert and will inform any future decisions on whether a judge-led inquiry is necessary, on Wednesday.

It will be undertaken alongside that of the independent Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and work is already under way by Police Scotland to review previous cases, to gather evidence on the extent of group-related child sexual abuse and exploitation.

SNP education secretary Jenny Gilruth said that it is needed to allow the Government and other agencies to “understand the extent and scale” of child sexual exploitation and abuse in Scotland.

It comes after months of pressure from opposition parties.

Scottish Conservative and Labour MSPs want to see a Scotland-wide inquiry into grooming gangs, similar to the ongoing investigation in England and Wales.

The move was welcomed by Scottish Labour, who said the review of evidence must now be carried out with “the urgency and care needed”.

However, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay continued to insist that the First Minister should announce a “robust” public inquiry into grooming gangs without delay.

Swinney could face questions about the decision.

FMQs will be broadcast from the Scottish Parliament at midday on Thursday.