ALL councillors will have to complete training on child sexual exploitation in a move which received cross-party support at the town hall this week.

Labour councillor Madeline Murray put forward the proposal at a full council meeting.

She said: “Many people in this place may think that this motion is a bit draconian, but we have mandatory training for planning and mandatory training for licensing. Are we saying that the safety of our children is less important?"

All taxi drivers must undergo this training as a condition of their licences and council workers are also expected to take part.

Elected members are also encouraged to complete child sexual exploitation training, especially if they sit on certain committees.

Executive cabinet member for children's services, Cllr Christine Wild, said councillors must understand the council’s role in keeping children safe.

She said: “Complacency has no part to play in keeping children safe. It isn’t good enough to think that the training we had years ago. Times change, laws change. It is necessary for a councillor to comprehend what constitutes safeguarding children."

Cllr Wild said that the majority of councillors have completed the training now after she introduced training for councillors earlier this year.

The move comes in the wake of the damning report on child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester which was published last week.

Victims in the region are having their cases newly investigated as a result of a review commissioned by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

But the motion to full council was submitted months before the report was published.

The motion was passed unanimously by full council on Wednesday.