Written questions by Thomas.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment she has made of the potential challenges for Clergy Disciplinary Measure processes involving senior Archbishops to be held within existing episcopal structures.

I refer the Hon Member for Tewkesbury to the previous answer UIN 108534Additionally, the current Clergy Discipline Measure was approved by Parliament in 2003 and came into operation in 2006. The legislation requires allegations of misconduct against a bishop to be laid before the relevant archbishop and allegations of misconduct against an archbishop to be laid before the other archbishop. The General Synod has recently passed a new Clergy Conduct Measure, which, if approved by Parliament, will replace the Clergy Discipline Measure in 2027. Under the Clergy Conduct Measure, allegations against an archbishop are to be laid before an independent judge.

Representing the Church Commissioners, whether current Church safeguarding guidance on engagement with parishes during live criminal investigations is consistent with national safeguarding and policing best practice.

Internal church safeguarding processes run in tandem with those conducted by statutory services. Criminal investigations will always take primacy over internal processes, which must do nothing to frustrate criminal proceedings. Safeguarding Case Management Groups (SCMGs) will always seek advice from the police before undertaking any messaging within parishes. Police and other statutory services are invited to SCMGs to ensure information sharing. Guidance on referring to statutory services is contained within the 2025 Managing Allegations Code.

Representing the Church Commissioners, how potential conflicts between safeguarding outcomes and reputational and legal risk management are identified and managed during safeguarding decision-making.

Safeguarding risks are managed through a Safeguarding Case Management Group (SCMG) process under the 2025 managing allegations code of practice. The role of the group includes managing both individual and organisational (reputational) risks, whilst being cognisant of the legality of decisions and proposed risk management recommendations. Legal advice is sought throughout the process, and on some occasions registrars are members of the SCMG.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what formal processes exist to (a) identify and (b) manage conflicts of interest during senior Church appointments where safeguarding concerns have been raised.

I refer the Hon Member for Tewkesbury to the previous answer UIN 108535 In addition, all those involved in Crown Nominations Commissions (CNCs) are asked to declare any conflicts of interest, with professional advice sought and appropriate action taken to address any impacts where they arise.

What recent assessment she has made of the rates of teacher retention amongst early years educators.

The turnover rate for all early years educators in private group-based and school-based providers is 16% and 7% respectively. A breakdown by qualification level is unavailable. To boost recruitment and retention of early years teachers (EYTs) and meet the long-term ambition of having an EYT in every setting, the department will introduce EYT financial incentives worth a maximum of £4,500 per annum to support those working in the most disadvantaged communities. We expect the financial incentives to be available from autumn 2026 and will publish more detail in due course. We are aiming to more than double the number of funded places on early years initial teacher training courses by 2028 and have introduced a new degree apprenticeship route to help more people become EYTs so that every child, no matter where they live, can benefit from high-quality early education.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what criteria are used to assess whether safeguarding arrangements in the Church of England are adequate.

In response to the recommendations made in the IICSA Enquiry, an independent audit programme delivered by INEQE was commissioned across all dioceses, cathedrals & the National Safeguarding Team. INEQE use the National Safeguarding Standards to measure progress. The standards are available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/national-safeguarding-standardsTo date, INEQE have reviewed the National Safeguarding Team and 22 dioceses, including their cathedrals. 17 of the reports have been published, and the remaining reports will be published soon. The reports can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/reviews-and-reports/independent-safeguarding-audit-programmeINEQE is ensuring that all relevant parts of the Church of England are reviewed, including the Diocese in Europe, and the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.The INEQE audit of dioceses is scheduled to run until early 2028 and INEQE also produces Annual Reports that highlight themes of good practice and areas for improvement.

What steps she is taking to promote teaching as a career path for young people and current teachers.

Since July 2024, this government has taken targeted action to boost teacher supply. This work started with our reset of the relationship with the sector, to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, making it one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join. We have published our delivery plan for 6,500 new expert teachers, focusing delivery across three key themes:Attract: We will optimise routes into teaching.Retain: We will improve teaching experience and boost retention.Develop: We will expand career-long development opportunities.We are offering recruitment incentives in the subjects where they are needed most, with significant investment in tax-free teacher training bursaries and scholarships of up to £31,000 for school and college teachers.We have recognised the importance of teachers with a pay rise for school teachers and leaders of nearly 10% since this government took power.Our approach is already starting to pay-off, with the secondary and special school workforce growing by 2,346 teachers between 2023/24 and 2024/25.

What recent assessment she has made of the rates of teacher retention in further education.

Having sufficient and skilled further education (FE) teachers is key to deliver on the government’s skills missions and help learners achieve good outcomes. The department continues to assess retention in the FE workforce based on available data and sector engagement.The most recent published figures indicate that for FE teachers starting in 2016, 51% were still in post by 2019. For those starting in 2014, 39% were still in post by 2019. The department also collects workforce data through the annual Further Education Workforce Data Collection. To improve retention, the department is delivering several programmes, including the targeted retention incentive for teachers in priority shortage subjects, reforms to initial teacher education and a strengthened professional development pathway with additional support for special educational needs and disabilities training.We will also continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Improving Education Together group, to understand drivers of retention and support meaningful improvement in teacher experience.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to reduce the harmful impacts of long lining.

Longlining is a method of fishing used in parts of the UK. It is recognised that bycatch can occur in this fishery. To address this, Defra funds the Clean Catch programme, a research programme dedicated to better monitoring and reducing bycatch of sensitive species in the UK, and the Bycatch Monitoring Programme (along with Scottish Government, given the devolved nature of fisheries management). Defra also commissioned the ongoing Bycatch Risk Prioritisation Framework, which assesses species vulnerability to bycatch in all fisheries in England and the UK. The Department also plays a role internationally, for example, in tabling a proposal to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to recommend the use of hook-shielding devices to reduce seabird bycatch in longline fisheries to help protect albatrosses and petrels in the South Atlantic and securing agreement at ICCAT to prohibit the retention of several vulnerable shark species.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment has she made of the benefits of a complete ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.

Bottom trawling in our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) needs to be managed appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected seabed habitats. Fisheries regulators make detailed assessments of the impact of all fishing activities on the protected species and habitats in our MPAs, based on advice from the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. Regulators then develop byelaws to restrict fishing when it has been assessed as damaging. Some MPAs, such as those designated for highly mobile species, may not need protection from bottom trawling. A consultation on the latest round of proposed fisheries byelaws, which proposes further restrictions on bottom trawling, closed on 29 September 2025. The Marine Management Organisation is now carefully considering all responses received, and decisions will be made in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to improve marine conservation efforts.

The Government is committed to strengthening marine conservation both at home and overseas. The UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) commits the UK, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to effectively conserving and managing at least 30% of our seas by 2030. In England, we have a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 40% of our waters, and we are focusing on making sure they are effectively managed. We are delivering the UK Marine Strategy to restore marine ecosystems and support the recovery of habitats and species. Internationally, the UK plays a leading role in marine conservation efforts by working with international partners to address marine pollution, protect vulnerable ecosystems, and promote sustainable ocean governance, delivering commitments under the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We are completely committed to ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, and we are a contracting party to the Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR).

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to question 91566, on Fishing Vessels: Monitoring, what progress has been made on the volunteer early adopter phase for Remote Electronic Monitoring of fishing vessels.

In December 2025 Defra successfully completed the first Remote Electronic Monitoring early adopter project with a volunteer vessel from Fishery A, pelagic trawls over 24m. Defra is seeking volunteers for further fisheries.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the ongoing impact of large scale industrial bottom trawling on the small-scale inshore fishing fleet.

No assessment has been made of these impacts. However, the activities of all vessels fishing in our waters, including large scale industrial vessels, are monitored by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). If it is considered that the activities of one sector are harming another, such as the small-scale inshore fleet, Defra can restrict those activities by using licence conditions and byelaws to introduce management measures. Last year, the MMO also consulted on prohibiting the use of bottom towed gear in 41 of England’s Marine Protected Areas for conservation purposes. Work on this issue is ongoing.

Food and Rural Affairs, when does her Department plan to announce the results of the Marine protected areas Stage 3 Consultation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Planning Inspectorate's recruitment of inspectors.

The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning casework, including ensuring that there is sufficient resourcing in the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to support such activity. In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million). PINS’s Strategic Plan commits to eliminating all casework backlogs by 2027.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle the Planning Inspectorate’s backlog of cases awaiting a site visit.

The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning casework, including ensuring that there is sufficient resourcing in the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to support such activity. In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million). PINS’s Strategic Plan commits to eliminating all casework backlogs by 2027.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the level of funding for the Planning Inspectorate.

The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning casework, including ensuring that there is sufficient resourcing in the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to support such activity. In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million). PINS’s Strategic Plan commits to eliminating all casework backlogs by 2027.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the preliminary findings of the ELSA Study that screens children for Type 1 diabetes.

The Government is guided by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. It is only where the committee is confident that screening would provide more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended, as all medical interventions carry an inherent risk.The UK NSC is aware of the ELSA study and looks forward to receiving the results of this study when the trial is complete.

What steps his Department has taken to reduce the financial cost of blood ketone tests.

The Department is updating the NHS Drug Tariff Part IX, starting with the category of Point of Care Testing and Hypodermic Equipment, which includes blood ketone testing strips. The intention behind these updates is to ensure that the products listed on the NHS Drug Tariff, which can be prescribed in the National Health Service, are of good quality. It will also help to minimise unnecessary price discrepancies the NHS pays between similar items. These products are being renewed in 2026 and reflected in the updated Drug Tariff around October 2026.NHS England has published guidance for prescribers on the quality and cost-effectiveness of blood ketone meters and testing strips available in the NHS. The combined effect of these two steps is expected to reduce the financial cost of blood ketone tests

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of resources to support schools to reach net zero.

I refer the hon. Member for Tewkesbury to the answer of 16 January 2026 to Question 104584.