A KEY announcement planned for next week regarding a historical child abuse inquiry across Scotland has been put off until after next month’s General Election, it was revealed yesterday.

The statement is now expected in mid-May and victims are furious – believing the delay may be down to ministers trying to avert any bad publicity the announcement generates until after polling day.

Scots survivors are concerned the move could be an indication they will not support what is being planned and follows a series of negative stories about a similar inquiry set up by the UK Government.

Alan Draper, parliamentary liaison officer for In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas), told The National: “There are fears the Scottish Government is trying to narrow the inquiry and doesn’t want anything coming out before the General Election.

“Survivors are yet again left feeling very disappointed.”

He added there were a number of possible contentious issues, including the inquiry’s remit, its chair, compensation issues and whether it would examine the lifting of a time bar over civil legal action.

Survivors have been calling for a public inquiry into historical child abuse in care homes for almost 15 years and the announcement one would finally be held was made by Angela Constance in December, weeks after being appointed education secretary. Her statement said its terms and chair should be announced by the end of April.

Draper said the postponement was yet a further setback in the fight for justice and followed delays in the consultation process which he expected to get under way in January but didn’t start until later.

Earlier this month, The National reported two members of Incas had died since the inquiry was announced and there were fears more members may pass away before it gets under way.

A Westminster inquiry has been the subject of a series of negative stories over who the UK Government named as its chair, with two of those appointed having to stand down after protests from survivors.

The Scottish Government is currently deciding what form its historical abuse inquiry should take and how it intends to uncover the deeply disturbing crimes committed against children in Scotland over the last few decades.

It is expected to investigate abuse in children’s homes, residential schools and religious orders in Scotland dating back decades.

But Incas also want the inquiry to investigate allegations of abuse in church parishes as well as claims Scottish institutions carried out medical experiments on vulnerable children and adults without consent.

Incas does not give details of the allegations but in the past claims have been made that children were victims of the practice at Lennox Castle Hospital, East Dunbartonshire.

Former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell apologised to children abused while in care in a key statement he gave to the Scottish Parliament in 2004. After his apology, an investigation was carried out by Tom Shaw, a former chief inspector of education and training in Northern Ireland. His report, published in 2007, estimated around 1,000 children were physically or sexually abused in the country’s care homes between 1950 and 1995.

Chris Daly, a former resident of Nazareth House, in Aberdeen, made the demand for a public inquiry at Holyrood’s petitions committee in 2002. Subsequent petitions followed, and survivors – frustrated at what they saw as a lack of Scottish Government action – marched down the Royal Mile to Holyrood.

In response to the campaign, ministers set up a National Confidential Forum where former residents could tell a panel of their experiences. But, while some victims embraced the forum, others were disappointed with its limited powers, saying it offered no legal redress or compensation.

A judicial inquiry into historic abuse in children’s homes was set up in Northern Ireland last year, and Scots survivors were disappointed that no similar moves had been made in Scotland.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We will be establishing a national statutory public inquiry into historical abuse of children in institutional care and have committed to do so following engagement with survivors and others on the terms of reference and the attributes required of a Chair and Panel.

“Ministers are grateful to those who have offered views and have worked very hard to ensure this process is as comprehensive as possible over the last four months, including individual survivors, survivors’ organisations and the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children.

“This is an opportunity to shine a light on an appalling failure of many of Scotland’s children. Clearly it is in no-one’s interests – not least those of survivors who have campaigned so hard to secure an inquiry – for any decision to be hurried on such important matters. It is essential they are made thoroughly and with all the relevant information to hand. The experience of the UK Government in similar issues bears this out.”