Keir Starmer says the national grooming scandal was one of the worst of our time, and that survivors have been ignored for many years including by the state.

He says his vow to survivors is that the inquiry will change that - stressing that he wants survivors to be at the heart of its working.

Starmer says his government is working to ensure this is done right, but acknowledges this isn't easy as survivors come to the inquiry with their own "painful experiences", which he adds has been set out by Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

• For context: Starmer announced a national grooming gangs inquiry in June after a review looked into group-based sexual exploitation of children, and found there had been a failure to act on the known issue over decades.

Image source, PA Media

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she wants to ask a question on behalf of one of the survivors of abuse.

She focuses on the testimony of one survivor, Fiona, who's stepped down from the inquiry's panel.

What's the point in speaking up if we're just going to be called liars, Badenoch asks, on behalf of Fiona?

Image source, PA Media

Before his back and forth with Tory leader Badenoch, Starmer begins today's session by mentioning mother Claire Throssell, whose sons were killed by their father, after he was granted access to them.

Starmer tells Parliament she is watching PMQs from the gallery today.

There are cheers and calls of "hear, hear" for her.

• You can read Claire's story in more detail here

Take your seats, Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch are both in the House of Commons and PMQs is now under way.

We'll bring you text updates of the pair's back and forth when it gets going, and you can also watch the events live at the top of the page.

Watch out for pithy analysis from our political colleagues, too.

Badenoch may want to pin Starmer on grooming inquiry or the economy - neither are easy topics for the PMpublished at 12:01 BST 22 October

12:01 BST 22 October

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

The obvious choice is that she’ll want to try to make the prime minister squirm over the issue of the inquiry into grooming gangs.

The Conservatives have a long-used line of attack here, which is that they have been in front of Sir Keir Starmer on this issue, calling for an inquiry before he U-turned and agreed to one, and saying it should be chaired by a senior judge.

With the setting-up of the inquiry now beset by troubles, and the resignation of some abuse survivors, Kemi Badenoch may want to try to pin him on this one issue.

But she could also pivot perhaps to the economy, the fact inflation seems stuck and, the Conservatives say, "punishing those Labour promised to protect".

Or there’s the ongoing disputes surrounding China, the collapse of the trial dealing with spying allegations, and the pending planning decision on whether to approve China’s mega embassy for London.

None are easy topics for Starmer.

Kate Whannel
Reporting from the House of Commons

Image source, Reuters

Another big news story this week has been fresh questions about Prince Andrew’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following publication of the late Virginia Giuffre's memoir.

MPs may want to ask the prime minister about this subject, but they will have to word their question carefully.

Erskine May, the bible of parliamentary procedure, sets out guidelines, external on how MPs can talk about members of the Royal Family in Parliament.

In 2022, the anti-monarchy group Republic asked the speaker to clarify the rules after Keir Starmer was told off for mentioning the late Queen in PMQs.

The response they received from the speaker’s office stated, external that "there is no general prohibition on discussing matters relating to the Royal Family", but added that there were certain conditions.

These include bans on suggesting the monarch would back a particular policy and asking ministers questions about things for which they are not responsible, such as the conduct of a member of the Royal Family.

Image source, PA Media

A little earlier, we saw Keir Starmer step out of 10 Downing Street and begin the short journey to the House of Commons.

You'll be able to see inside the chamber, via our live feed at the top of the page, very shortly.

Stay with us.

Image source, Reuters

Following on from our last post, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has insisted that the focus of the national grooming gangs inquiry "will not change".

Mahmood's intervention comes after the four abuse survivors quit their inquiry roles over fears its scope could be widened beyond grooming gangs and therefore watered down.

Writing in The Times, Mahmood says it is with a "heavy heart" that she learned panel members had stepped down, but leaves the door open for their return and insists the inquiry will "explicitly examine the ethnicity and religion of offenders".

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in June there would be a national inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales, with a panel of survivors set up to oversee the process.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

Away from the economy, PM Keir Starmer is continuing to face pressure over a national grooming gangs inquiry - and this week, four abuse survivors have resigned from their role on its panel.

Yesterday "Elizabeth" - not her real name - joined Fiona Goddard and Ellie Reynolds in resigning, saying the process felt like a "cover-up" and had "created a toxic environment for survivors".

Survivors have also been frustrated around the length of time it has been taking to appoint a chairperson, with some seeing this as a delay tactic because of fears of what might be exposed.

Goddard and Reynolds had raised concerns about the suitability of the candidates shortlisted to chair the inquiry, arguing they should not have a background in policing or social work. Goddard, who was abused by gangs while living in a Bradford children's home, said these services had "contributed most to the cover-up of the national mass rape and trafficking of children".

Denying a "cover-up", Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has said it's "untrue" that the government is seeking to dilute the inquiry's focus - but Goddard labelled the MP's denials "a blatant lie".

• Our news story has more on survivors' concerns that their voices aren't being heard

Relief for government and banks - but the chancellor's not totally satisfiedpublished at 11:28 BST 22 October

11:28 BST 22 October

Dharshini David
Deputy economics editor

There is relief for many that inflation didn’t hit the feared 4% last month - relief for households, the government and the Bank of England.

Inflation of course remains considerably above the latter’s target of course and while that persists, consumers may remain jittery about spending, uneasy about the future path of prices.

After all, during the spike in inflation a couple of years back, they experienced the equivalent of more than a typical decade’s worth of price rises in just two years. They are scarred.

But there are signs that things are settling down - food prices are easing, for the first time in months. And economists feel that the impact of some of the other higher costs firms have been passing on - such as tax and wage rises - may be peaking.

Economists expect inflation to fall back towards the 2% target next year.

However price rises in other areas such as services-think hotels and restaurants stubborn. The Chancellor says she is not satisfied with progress as yet and has hinted at help to come in November‘s Budget, with, we understand, some relief expected for on energy bills.

And until the bank of England feels that inflation is firmly under control, it’s likely reluctant to resume cutting interest rates. Borrowers may not see further relief for several months.

Earlier this morning, it was announced that the UK inflation rate held at 3.8% in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It marks the third successive month the rate remains unchanged - and the 12th month in a row inflation is above the Bank of England's 2% target.

Petrol prices and airfares drove up costs, but food and non-alcoholic drinks prices fell for first time since May last year.

Inflation is the rate of price increases over time, measured by tracking the costs of a selection of goods compared to the year before.

September's figure is especially significant, as it is normally used to calculate how much a range of benefits go up by in April.

Sam Hancock
Live page editor

It's that time again.

Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and hundreds of MPs will soon gather in the House of Commons for Prime Minister's Questions.

In a typically busy week, the government's made a key announcement about university tuition fees (more on that soon) and also faced increasing pressure on its grooming gangs inquiry (also more on that soon).

Meanwhile, the UK's latest rate of inflation had been forecast to rise but instead remained unchanged at 3.8% - Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose highly anticipated Budget is due next month, says she is "not satisfied" with the unchanged figure.

Badenoch's previously used PMQs as a forum to push the government on whether Reeves's Budget will contain tax rises - something the chancellor is widely expected to do after a series of U-turns on welfare cuts made it harder for her to meet her own tax and spending rules.

Having said all that, we'll have to wait and see what Starmer's asked when the time comes. As always, you'll be able to watch the session live at the top of the page while we bring you text updates, reaction and snappy analysis.