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| Abuse inquiry: Fiona Woolf faces fresh pressure to quit | Abuse inquiry: Fiona Woolf faces fresh pressure to quit |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Victims' groups are meeting officials from a historical child sex abuse inquiry and are expected to repeat calls for the inquiry's head to resign. | |
| Some victims have already said Fiona Woolf should step down because of her social links to ex-Home Secretary Lord Brittan, whose handling of abuse claims in the 1980s has been questioned. | Some victims have already said Fiona Woolf should step down because of her social links to ex-Home Secretary Lord Brittan, whose handling of abuse claims in the 1980s has been questioned. |
| One victims' representative said he had "zero confidence" in the inquiry. | One victims' representative said he had "zero confidence" in the inquiry. |
| David Cameron's spokesman said he was "absolutely clear" she can do the job. | David Cameron's spokesman said he was "absolutely clear" she can do the job. |
| The inquiry will look at whether public bodies and other institutions did enough to protect children from sexual abuse, from 1970 to the present day. | The inquiry will look at whether public bodies and other institutions did enough to protect children from sexual abuse, from 1970 to the present day. |
| The first person appointed to lead it - Baroness Butler-Sloss - stepped down in July after concerns were raised about the fact that her late brother was attorney general during the 1980s. | |
| Mrs Woolf is not thought to be at the meeting with victims' representatives, including lawyer Alison Millar, who is to call for her to step down because "our clients just don't have faith in her". | Mrs Woolf is not thought to be at the meeting with victims' representatives, including lawyer Alison Millar, who is to call for her to step down because "our clients just don't have faith in her". |
| Is it possible to find a candidate who is beyond reproach? | |
| Clive Coleman, BBC legal correspondent | |
| Finding someone to chair such a vast and sensitive inquiry reaching back over such a long period is very difficult. | |
| There are two key selection criteria. | |
| The chair needs to have the intellect and experience to do the job. That points in the direction of senior judges or former judges who have chaired long inquiries. | |
| They are used to hearing and analysing the vast amounts of testimony from multiple witnesses - and who can do so effectively and with sensitivity. | |
| Equally important is perception and independence. | |
| Victims and survivors must have confidence that the chair is divorced from the contentious subject matter of the inquiry and key people who may figure in it. | |
| The NSPCC is also at the meeting in London, which began at about 10:30 GMT. | The NSPCC is also at the meeting in London, which began at about 10:30 GMT. |
| The charity has declined to give explicit backing to Mrs Woolf, a corporate lawyer. | The charity has declined to give explicit backing to Mrs Woolf, a corporate lawyer. |
| It said the government inquiry should be judged on its work rather than who leads it, but that it should get under way. | It said the government inquiry should be judged on its work rather than who leads it, but that it should get under way. |
| But Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said Mrs Woolf was an "entirely inappropriate" choice. | But Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said Mrs Woolf was an "entirely inappropriate" choice. |
| "What in God's name are they doing appointing a corporate lawyer who knows, and has already demonstrated she knows, nothing about this deeply entrenched social evil?" he said. | "What in God's name are they doing appointing a corporate lawyer who knows, and has already demonstrated she knows, nothing about this deeply entrenched social evil?" he said. |
| He called the inquiry a "whitewash", adding: "Survivors just want the truth. We have zero confidence that this will follow." | He called the inquiry a "whitewash", adding: "Survivors just want the truth. We have zero confidence that this will follow." |
| 'Not close' | 'Not close' |
| A victim of historical child sexual abuse has already launched a legal challenge to Mrs Woolf's appointment, claiming she is not impartial, has no relevant expertise and may not have time to discharge her duties. | A victim of historical child sexual abuse has already launched a legal challenge to Mrs Woolf's appointment, claiming she is not impartial, has no relevant expertise and may not have time to discharge her duties. |
| Earlier this month Mrs Woolf, who is Lord Mayor of London, disclosed that she lived in the same street as Lord Brittan and had dinner with him five times between 2008 and 2012 - but said he was not a "close associate". | Earlier this month Mrs Woolf, who is Lord Mayor of London, disclosed that she lived in the same street as Lord Brittan and had dinner with him five times between 2008 and 2012 - but said he was not a "close associate". |
| Lord Brittan may be called to give evidence to the inquiry. He denies any wrongdoing in the way the "dossier" on alleged high-profile paedophiles was handled in the 1980s. | Lord Brittan may be called to give evidence to the inquiry. He denies any wrongdoing in the way the "dossier" on alleged high-profile paedophiles was handled in the 1980s. |
| On Thursday, MP Keith Vaz said letters from Mrs Woolf showed her appointment was "chaotic". He said a letter from Mrs Woolf about her links with Lord Brittan was re-written seven times until the final version gave a "sense of greater detachment". | |
| The letters: What they said and when | |
| Mr Cameron's official spokesman said the prime minister's view that Mrs Woolf should lead the inquiry "has not changed". | |
| "The prime minister is absolutely clear he thinks she can do this job with integrity and impartiality," he added. | |
| Labour's shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said Home Secretary Theresa May had "totally failed" to get the inquiry going. | |
| Abuse inquiry: How we got here | Abuse inquiry: How we got here |
| 1 July - MP Simon Danczuk calls on former Home Secretary Leon Brittan to say what he knew about paedophile allegations passed to him in the 1980s | 1 July - MP Simon Danczuk calls on former Home Secretary Leon Brittan to say what he knew about paedophile allegations passed to him in the 1980s |
| 7 July - Government announces independent inquiry into the way public bodies investigated and handled child sex abuse claims. Baroness Butler-Sloss chosen as head | 7 July - Government announces independent inquiry into the way public bodies investigated and handled child sex abuse claims. Baroness Butler-Sloss chosen as head |
| 9 July - Baroness Butler-Sloss (pictured) faces calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s | 9 July - Baroness Butler-Sloss (pictured) faces calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s |
| 14 July - She stands down, saying she is "not the right person" for the job | 14 July - She stands down, saying she is "not the right person" for the job |
| 5 September - Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf named the new head of the inquiry | 5 September - Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf named the new head of the inquiry |
| 11 October - Mrs Woolf discloses she had five dinners with Lord Brittan from 2008-12 | 11 October - Mrs Woolf discloses she had five dinners with Lord Brittan from 2008-12 |
| 22 October - Abuse victim launches legal challenge against Mrs Woolf leading the inquiry, amid growing calls for her resignation | 22 October - Abuse victim launches legal challenge against Mrs Woolf leading the inquiry, amid growing calls for her resignation |