Child abuse inquiry: Complaints against late Conservative MP 'not reported to police'

Allegations made about an MP’s “penchant for small boys” were passed to the security service but were not then investigated or reported to police, an inquiry has heard.

The claim concerned Peter Morrison, the Conservative MP for Chester, the wide-ranging Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was told.

The Westminster part of the inquiry is expected to sit for three weeks and aims to address “outstanding questions of public concern” related to child abuse allegations.

Lead counsel to the inquiry Brian Altman QC said that during its work the inquiry has obtained a copy of a 1986 letter, written by then-director general of the security service Sir Antony Duff.

Mr Altman said: “The letter makes it clear that the information that Mr Morrison had ‘a penchant for small boys’ had been passed to the security service by a member of the Westminster establishment, who had heard it from two sources.

“We have obtained other documents relevant to this correspondence from both the Cabinet Office and the security service. Those documents make it clear that neither the security service nor the Cabinet Office took steps to investigate this allegation, nor did they report them to the police.”

It was one of a series of matters raised on the opening day of an inquiry, which was earlier branded a “witch hunt against dead politicians”.

The hearing was told the inquiry will not consider allegations made by Carl Beech, previously known as “Nick”, about a Westminster paedophile ring. Mr Beech has since been charged with perverting the course of justice and fraud.

Mr Altman stressed the inquiry will look at how organisations responded to child sex abuse allegations rather than the truth of claims against individuals.

The IICSA has already stated allegations against people accused of wrongdoing during the hearing are not necessarily true.

The probe will look at seven topics during its investigation, including whether political parties turned a blind eye to allegations and if there were attempts to cover up abuse claims.

The Morrison case study will be considered alongside how the Liberal Party, now the Liberal Democrat Party, responded to allegations made against the late MP Sir Cyril Smith and a more recent incident regarding Green Party member David Challenor.

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The operation of the Whips’ offices in parliament and the existence of so-called “dirt books” containing “scandal” about MPs will also be examined, as will the honours system, following concerns around honours potentially being granted to people accused of abuse either before or after their nominations.

The inquiry will also consider a claim the Paedophile Information Exchange received £30,000 in funding from the Home Office’s then Voluntary Services Unit (VSU), disguised as payment to the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS or now RVS).

Mr Altman said a question raised by Labour’s Tom Watson in the House of Commons in 2012, saying there was “clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and No 10”, could be seen as the “catalyst for the establishment of this inquiry”.

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But Geoffrey Robertson QC, acting for Harvey Proctor – whose home was raided under the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Midland before the probe closed in 2016 without a single arrest – claimed Mr Watson and “various febrile journalists” had “started a moral panic” over an alleged paedophile ring.

Daniel Janner QC, son of the late Labour peer Lord Janner, who died in 2015 after being found unfit to stand trial over alleged sex offences, claimed the allegations forming part of the probe were based on “tittle tattle, false rumours and dodgy dossiers”.

He said the inquiry was “a witch hunt against dead politicians”.

The hearing was adjourned.

Additional reporting by Press Association