National Preventive Mechanism Sixth Annual Report 2014–15 children from sexual abuse in the past. These included the Scottish Action Plan on Justice for Victims of Historic Abuse of Children in Care in November 2014 and a consultation on the establishment of a public inquiry,34 and the establishment of an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales.35 The extent to which abuses might have occurred in detention, including in the Medomsley Detention Centre (which closed in 1988 and which is subject to a criminal investigation36) has yet to be clarified. As a result of the investigations and prosecutions, the number of older prisoners is likely to increase across the detention estate. Several bodies examined the role and functions of NPM members over the year, making important recommendations to be considered by government and the members themselves. • The National Audit Office (NAO) published a comparative study of criminal justice inspectorates, including two NPM members (HMI Prisons and HMIC), which recommended further work to increase their impact and improve the follow up on both their own and others’ recommendations.37 • The Equality and Human Rights Commission called for a statutory obligation on institutions to respond publically to the recommendations of inspectorate and regulatory bodies.38 • The NAO and the Public Accounts Committee39 emphasised the importance of the independence of inspectorate bodies and a need to clarify and strengthen their relationship with the government departments that ‘sponsor’ them. The government subsequently confirmed it rejected the recommendation that there should be a review of these arrangements. • The Justice Committee,40,41 the Public Administration Select Committee,42 the Public Accounts Committee,43 and the Harris Review (which set out steps to prevent and strengthen responses to deaths in custody of young adults) all recommended that HM Chief Inspector of Prisons should have a direct reporting line to parliament, instead of or in addition to the current reporting arrangements to the Ministry of Justice. • The Justice Committee set out several serious concerns about the process initiated to appoint a new Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales. 34 See: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00463120.pdf and https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/ inquiry-into-historical-child-abuse (accessed 14/10/15). 35 See: https://www.csa-inquiry.independent.gov.uk/ (accessed 14/10/15). 36 See: https://www.durham.police.uk/news-and-events/Pages/News%20Articles/Operation-Seabrook---MedomselyDetention-Centre.aspx (accessed 14/10/15). 37 The National Audit Office (2015). Inspection: A comparative study. London, The National Audit Office. 38 Equality and Human Rights Commission(2015), Preventing deaths in detention of adults with mental health conditions, London, Equality and Human Rights Commission. 39 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts (2015), Inspection in home affairs and justice. London, The Stationery Office. 40 House of Commons Justice Committee (2015), Prisons: planning and policies. London, The Stationery Office. 41 House of Commons Justice Committee (2015), Appointment of Chief Inspector of Prisons: matters of concern. London, The Stationery Office. 42 House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee (2014), Who’s accountable? Relationships between Government and arm’s-length bodies. London, The Stationery Office. 43 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts (2015), Inspection in home affairs and justice. HC 975. London, The Stationery Office. 18