The Government has bowed to public pressure and announced it will include churches in its historical abuse inquiry.

It comes after months of resistance to investigate any faith-based organisations.

A Royal Commission into the historical abuse of children in state care, from 1950-1999, has been in a preliminary process since February.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Children's Minister Tracey Martin announced on Monday that Cabinet had agreed to expand the commission's remit to investigate abuse in church institutions as well.

"Today paves the way for us to confront a dark chapter of our national history by acknowledging what happened to people in state care, and in the care of faith-based institutions, and to learn the lessons for the future," Ardern said.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF Luke Hollis was abused as an 8-year-old while a member of the Jehovahs Witnesses.

"It was critical we got the Royal Commission right and the scope and purpose of this Inquiry has been carefully considered."

Wellington's Luke Hollis, who was sexually abused as a child in England by an adult in his former Jehovah's Witness faith, was rapt with the news that churches would be included in the Royal Commission.

If New Zealand was anything like Australia the move would many many more victims coming forward.

"It is definitely the first step that needs to be taken and I'm glad it is being taken seriously. I think it is just great to encourage as many people as possible to come forward about these things," Hollis said.

Faith-based institutions include churches, religious schools, as well as communes and a number of charities.

Ardern said she remained of the opinion that the Governments first duty of care was to those who were abused in state care institutions.

"But we had to listen," she said.

And Ardern gave an assurance that victims who were in state care would not have their investigation diluted in any way as a result of the scope of the inquiry expanding.

The first interim report of the Royal Commission would focus only on abuse suffered by state care victims.

The Royal Commission received over 400 submissions on the draft Terms of Reference.

Extending the scope to include borstals, boys homes and orphanages run by religious institutions was one of the most sought after changes, Martin said.

"We must learn from the mistakes of the past, and take responsibility for them. That's why we have asked that the first interim report of the inquiry be focussed on state care. That will be reported back by the end of 2020. A separate report will be focussed on the abuse of children in faith based institutions.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, right, and Children's Minister Tracey Martin announced the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care in February. Cabinet has now argeed to included faith-based organisations that ran care homes for state wards, as well.

"We recognise the seriousness of abuse and confirm our commitment to considering future measures to help protect all children, young people, and vulnerable adults."

Martin said she was confident the commission panel had the "right mix of integrity, mana and credibility to carry out the difficult job of hearing the survivors' stories and identifying issues, including future issues, that we need to address".

The Inquiry has a budget of $78.85 million over four years, which includes more than $15 million to help participants by providing counselling and related support. The Historic Claims Unit, which processes compensation claims, has been asked to cooperate with, and support any requests made by, the Commission.

It had already been established that compensation was not within the mandate of the inquiry, but victims who had been involved in a controversial settlement process with the Ministry of Social Development would have the opportunity to comment on that, throughout the course of the commission.

Cabinet also confirmed the four other members of the Inquiry to serve with the commission chair Sir Anand Satyanand: Ali'imuamua Sandra Alofivae, Dr Andrew Erueti, Paul Gibson, and Judge Coral Shaw.

Asked if institutions like Gloriavale would now be included, Satyanand said "the tentative answer is yes".

The commission would also have the power to compel people to appear in front of it, if it was required.

A later report would look at abuse in religious institutions, and a third and final report would detail the full scope of abuse across both state and faith based institutions by 2023.

Satyanand said the inquiry would be the biggest Royal Commission ever undertaken in New Zealand.

STUFF The Royal Commission of Inquiry will span 50 years of alleged abuse, from 1950-1999.

CHURCHES RESPOND

The call to widen the scope of the inquiry has been welcomed by the Anglican church, and its governing committee had written to the Prime Minister in March requesting exactly that.

Archbishop Philip Richardson said that a broader investigation was always needed.

The letter to the Prime Minister, in part, read:



"Our primary concern is for the needs of those whose lives have been impacted by abuse, and we are conscious that abuse has been perpetrated by agencies across our society, including the church and its agencies.

"We are concerned that it will be unhelpful to victims and survivors, if the inquiry and its process is limited only to the state sector, denying some the right to have their voices heard."

Archbishop Richardson said a Royal Commission of Inquiry provides a forum, a credibility and an independence, which victims and survivors of abuse and the wider public will trust.

"While I think that that those in authority in the church today have a good sense of what the scope of historical abuse of children in the care of the Anglican Church has been, we can't be categorical about that.

"We can't assume. That's why independence; a well-constructed inquiry and the safety of the survivors, is so critically important," he said.