Renfrewshire councillors have been told that public authorities have been instructed to preserve records that may be relevant to a national inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
John Trainer, head of child care and criminal justice, outlined the position at Renfrewshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on Thursday, 29th October 2026.
He said Professor Alexis Jay had issued a notice instructing public authorities not to destroy potentially relevant records while the inquiry’s terms were being finalised.
The board was considering an update on a separate national review led by the Care Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland.
Its second phase has been paused following the establishment of the statutory public inquiry.
Mr Trainer said it was not yet clear whether that phase would be rescheduled or whether the wider inquiry would replace the need for it.
He said the council would co-operate if the inspection work resumed and stressed the importance of giving victims a place in the inquiry.
The written report records positive feedback on Renfrewshire’s partnership working, child protection training and support for vulnerable young people.
It also identifies further work on data collection, information systems, online risks and staff training.
No cases of group-based harm had been formally identified locally during the review period, February 2024 to February 2026, according to the report.
That finding relates to cases formally identified during the period. The report also recognises limitations in the collection and sharing of information about exploitation risks.