Well being Secretary Wes Streeting has branded Commons chief Lucy Powell's remarks about grooming gangs as "indefensible" following widespread backlash.
Talking to GB Information, Streeting stated: "The feedback that Lucy made had been indefensible, and she or he's not defending these feedback."
He added that Powell is "mortified" about her feedback made throughout a BBC Radio 4 programme.
"I do know that she is mortified. She deeply regrets what she stated," Streeting instructed GB Information.
The Well being Secretary acknowledged that victims and victims' teams had been harm by Powell's remarks.
"I'm actually sorry that folks have been harm by what's been stated," he said.
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The controversy started when Powell appeared on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions programme on Friday evening alongside Conservative Get together co-chairman Nigel Huddleston, Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan and political commentator Tim Montgomerie.
When Montgomerie talked about a current Channel 4 documentary about girls who had been groomed and abused by gangs, Powell responded: "Oh, we wish to blow that little trumpet now, will we? Let's get that canine whistle out, we could?"
Her dismissive tone prompted quick criticism, with many accusing the Manchester Central MP of belittling severe crimes.
Montgomerie later instructed Sky Information her feedback had been "clearly ill-judged" however had "wider resonance" in what he described as a bent to "stifle debate".
Powell posted an apology on social media on Saturday evening, writing: "Within the warmth of a dialogue on (Any Questions) I wish to make clear that I regard points of kid exploitation & grooming with the utmost seriousness. I'm sorry if this was unclear."
She added: "I used to be difficult the political level scoring round it, not the problem itself."
Her workplace emphasised that she had "rapidly apologised" and clarified her feedback "weren’t in any manner directed on the victims".
The MP "deeply regrets that her feedback have given the impression of something aside from she thinks these are extremely severe and vital issues".
Powell's workplace famous she has reached out privately to victims in Manchester and would proceed to help them.
Addressing the substance of the problem, Streeting highlighted authorities actions on grooming gangs.
"We've requested each police drive in England and Wales to return to all of these historic instances the place no additional motion was taken," he stated.
This overview goals to find out "whether or not there may be extra that may be achieved to convey perpetrators to justice".
The federal government has additionally eliminated closing dates that beforehand restricted victims from looking for impartial opinions of their instances.
Streeting famous that Louise Casey is at present conducting an audit of all actions taken.
"We will likely be receiving that shortly and reporting on subsequent steps," he instructed GB Information.