AN MP has questioned the Oxfam chief executive on sexual exploitation scandal whilst at an international development select committee emergency session.

James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, quizzed representatives of Oxfam about their role and how much they knew about the recent scandal, in which vulnerable women were sexually exploited in Haiti.

In his role as a member of the international development committee, James asked about the extent of a potential cover up within Oxfam.

At the emergency meeting on Tuesday, chief executive of Oxfam, Mark Goldring, apologised on behalf of Oxfam and also for his insensitive comments last week in which he unfavourably compared the scandal to “murdering babies”.

He said: “I repeat Oxfam’s broader apology and my personal apology. I am sorry, we are sorry, for the damage Oxfam has done both to the people of Haiti but also to wider efforts for aid and development by possibly undermining public support.”

Mr Goldring said that around 7,000 individual donors have cancelled regular donations to Oxfam over the past 10 days.

Mr Goldring also revealed that when another aid charity later inquired about whether it should offer a job to Roland van Hauwermeiren, who was forced to resign as a result of the Haiti scandal, it declined to offer a reference but merely listed his positions at Oxfam.

“We should have been more pro-active,” said Mr Goldring. “We should have said ‘Please call us – there is cause for concern’.”

James also quizzed representatives from the charity Save the Children about whether this problem was systemic across the aid sector, and whether the sector was likely to attract predatory individuals.

Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said that his charity had produced two reports – dating back as far as 2002 – warning that “predatory men” were seeking to use aid work as an opportunity for abuse.

He told the committee: “What has come to light over the past few weeks cautions all of us against complacency.”

The committee further announced that they would be conducting a full inquiry of sexual misconduct in the aid sector in the wake of the scandal.

James said: “I am pleased that we will be conducting a full inquiry into these tragic events. Whilst we can never undo the damage which has been done to the victims of this abuse, hopefully we can get to the bottom of the story. I hope our findings will lead to widespread reform and better safeguards being put in place across the aid sector, not just at Oxfam.”