Cameron Thomas

The National Church Institutions are in the final process of updating the Clergy Discipline Measure. The Legislative Committee of the General Synod will ask Members of the General Synod at its sitting in February 2026 to give their final approval to one minor change requested by the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament

Until the General Synod and Parliament approve the new Measure and it receives Royal Assent, the law relating to the current operation of the Clergy Discipline Measure is outlined as below:

The Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 (“the Measure”) and the Clergy Discipline Rules 2005 (“the Rules”)

provide for a statutory framework to investigate allegations of misconduct committed by clergy, and to enable formal disciplinary proceedings brought under the Measure to be dealt with justly, in a way that is both fair to all relevant interested persons and proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the issues raised

The general position is that any hearing brought under the Measure is heard in private, although there is discretion for the tribunal or court to direct that a hearing shall be in public, if it is satisfied that it is in the interests of justice so to do or where the respondent requests that the hearing should be in public

However, under the Rules, once a decision in relation to misconduct is reached by the panel, the pronouncement of any decision is to be in public, and a copy of the tribunal’s written decision is sent to the relevant bishop, as well as the complainant, the respondent, the registrar, and the provincial registrar

Where misconduct is proved, and a penalty is to be imposed, the Rules also make it clear that the pronouncement of any penalty is to be in public, and, as with the written decision in relation to misconduct, the decision to impose a penalty or penalties is also recorded in writing, and a copy of the written decision is sent to the relevant bishop, as well as the complainant, the respondent, the registrar, and the provincial registrar

In relation to wider communication or publication, once a written decision (in relation to misconduct or in relation to a penalty) is handed down by the Chair or panel, the Office of the President of Tribunals arranges for the written decision to be published on the Church of England website (in the section: About / Governance / Legal Resources / Clergy Discipline)

Further communication thereafter remains at the discretion of the Diocese or parties as to whether they issue a press release to communicate the outcome more widely. There are no mandatory requirements under the Measure or the Rules for wider communication of outcomes.

The Archbishops’ Council, as part of the National Church Institutions, is responsible for overseeing the work of the National Safeguarding Team (NST).

The NST continues to strengthen safeguarding across the Church of England at all levels. All national safeguarding policies have been comprehensively revised over the past five years and are now legally enforceable Codes of Practice, supported by detailed good practice guidance covering all aspects of church safeguarding.

An extensive training programme is being delivered: in 2025, over 65,000 individuals completed the Basic Safeguarding Module, and over 35,000 people undertook domestic abuse training.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce has a mandate to drive forward a whole-government response to the full range of threats to our democracy, including foreign information operations.

This response includes the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan, which I announced in the House in November.

Coordinated by the Cabinet Office with the support of Departments across Whitehall, this plan is designed to disrupt the ecosystem of proxy organisations and individuals used by foreign states to facilitate interference.

We do not have any specific neurodiversity training available to all Civil Service departments. Civil Service Expectations is an e-learning course for all civil servants which explains why inclusion, diversity and equality is important to the Civil Service and the citizens it serves. We do not actively monitor the training of other departments and departments have delegated authority to develop learning that aligns to their organisational requirements.

The Cabinet Office is taking a range of steps to strengthen neurodiversity awareness and support available. We have established a dedicated Neurodiversity Network, which provides a platform for colleagues to share lived experiences and access resources that promote understanding of neurodiversity across the department and has a senior active Neurodiversity Champion.

A Disability Line Manager Toolkit has been launched this year providing clear guidance on recognising neurodiversity, outlines common neurodivergent conditions, and highlights key statistics to build awareness among managers. It also explains the support available within the department, including the Workplace Adjustments Passport.

Sessions on the importance of neurodiversity, hosted by our Cabinet Office Diversity Network Champion and Diversity and Inclusion team are run, to help deepen insight and encourage inclusive working practices and we use Line Managers calls to raise awareness.

In addition, the Business Disability Forum, delivers regular Lunch and Learn events on neurodiversity. These sessions provide practical guidance, share best practice, and support managers and teams in fostering an inclusive culture.

The Cabinet Office Honours team is working to make the honours system truly representative of UK society, in line with the Prime Minister’s priorities for the honours system. As part of this work, we have recently established a new independent Diversity and Outreach Committee which will assist the committee process in delivering an honours system which is properly diverse and reflective of UK society.

In addition to ongoing work, every five years, a report to Parliament is published on the Operation of the UK Honours System. This report sets out progress and key developments to our work to improve the integrity and fairness in, and access to, the Honours System. The most recent report was published in May 2023 and can be viewed here. The next report is due to be published in 2028.

Festivals are crucial to the UK's culture, providing a platform for emerging artists, supporting local economies and creative jobs, and bringing joy to thousands.

The impact on UK festivals will depend on the regulations that we will bring forward following consultation on the measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025.

The government will ensure there is sufficient time for businesses to familiarise themselves with these new employment rights before they come into force, and we intend to provide clear guidance for employers and for workers in advance of implementation.

The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act and this is available here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

Whilst no formal assessment has been made of the Autumn Budget’s impact on the mental health of publicans or hospitality workers, the Government recognises the pressures they face and the importance of supporting wellbeing and we welcome initiatives like the Hospitality Wellbeing and Development Promise: Wellbeing Promise which promotes mental health and wellbeing across the sector.

We continue to meet regularly with the industry, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to co-create solutions that build resilience and address sector challenges.

The UK and Ukraine are strengthening economic ties through our Free Trade and Digital Trade Agreements and the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership Agreement, signed by the Prime Minister and the President of Ukraine in January. Our commitments demonstrate firm intention to support Ukraine and enable UK businesses to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernisation, driving mutual prosperity. Initiatives including the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce and UK-Ukraine Techbridge, and regular defence trade missions, are encouraging bilateral trade and investment, strengthening industrial partnerships and improving market access for UK businesses.

The Government is ambitious about the role of local and community energy in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will publish our Local Power Plan soon which will set out how we will work with communities to deliver significant growth in community energy.

Ministers and officials in the department, have visited community energy projects and attended events held by community energy affiliated organisations throughout this year, such as Community Energy England's Annual conference on 1^st July 2025.

In March 2025, the department also hosted the DESNZ ‘Community Energy Day’, bringing together over 100 representatives from community energy groups and around 40 civil servants from across Government departments. The event provided a platform to showcase innovative projects, foster collaboration, and was widely regarded as a highly successful and energising day, with both ministerial and official attendance.

We also fund the Net Zero Hubs. The Net Zero Hubs also organise events, conferences and webinars across England to increase collaboration between local authorities and community groups, showcase funding opportunities, and increase the pipeline of community energy projects, like Northumberland Community Energy’s planned further rollout of rooftop solar panels.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24^th October to my hon Friend the Member for Slough (TanmanJeet Singh Dhesi) to question UIN [14374].

Solar generators can export surplus electricity to the local network when generation exceeds onsite demand, helping to power local hospitals, schools and other public facilities. However, export decisions depend on costs and revenues, and the availability of network capacity. When the local grid is temporarily constrained, either due to high generation levels or low demand, exporting may be reduced. Ofgem and Distribution Network Operators are working to increase grid capacity and flexibility to support the integration of small-scale generators into the local electricity network, thereby supporting the Government’s decarbonisation ambitions.

Peer-to-peer energy trading may, in some circumstances, support Government energy objectives, particularly those relating to community energy. The Department is working closely with Ofgem and other key stakeholders to determine how best to support local generation being matched with local demand.

The energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy, including code modifications to the Balancing and Settlement Code, P442, and standardising the classification of local energy sites, P441.

Making information ecosystems stronger requires collaboration between Government, industry and civil society. Last year, Ofcom established the Online Information Advisory Committee, bringing together civil society and industry to build a deeper understanding of challenges relating to the online information environment, including suggesting options to tackle mis- and disinformation.

DSIT’s media literacy work supports people to navigate online systems safely. We are improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government delivery and collaboration with Ofcom and civil society. Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom also have a media literacy strategy, which prioritises work with civil society and communities to build online resilience.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world, but we know that certain groups are more likely to be digitally excluded than others. This includes older people, with statistics showing 86% of adults aged 60+ are online, compared to 95% of all UK adults in 2025.

That is why, we have launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund - backing local communities to lead the way in closing the digital divide. This is supporting 85 projects in England, including highly tailored and targeted interventions to help more digitally excluded older people get the access, skills and confidence to get online. More broadly, we are ensuring public services are accessible and inclusive, designing web and digital services that work for everyone so more people can access services quickly and easily.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for regulating the telecoms sector with a duty to further the interests of citizens and consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition.

Where Ofcom determines a provider has significant market power (SMP) in a market, it can impose remedies as appropriate. In the wholesale fixed telecoms market, BT and KCOM were found to have SMP and a range of pricing and non-pricing remedies were imposed on the firms to promote network competition. Ofcom is in the process of updating its decisions through its Telecoms Access Review. Ofcom has not found any firm to have SMP in the retail telecoms sector.

In July, DSIT published a consultation on the draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services. The draft Statement sets out the government’s view on the importance of competition to support broadband deployment across the UK. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

Ofcom is responsible for regulating the telecoms sector, and it has a duty to further the interests of citizens and consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition.

Developers decide which network operators they would like present in their buildings and negotiate commercial agreements with those operators. Developers are free to approach as many network operators as they wish and to secure multiple connections on a voluntary basis. As regulator for the sector, it is for Ofcom to assess whether there is a competition issue with housing developments and put remedies in place as appropriate.

Ofcom is responsible for regulating the telecoms sector, and it has a duty to further the interests of citizens and consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition.

Developers decide which network operators they would like present in their buildings and negotiate commercial agreements with those operators. Developers are free to approach as many network operators as they wish and to secure multiple connections on a voluntary basis. As regulator for the sector, it is for Ofcom to assess whether there is a competition issue with housing developments and put remedies in place as appropriate.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair to discuss a wide range of issues.

The Government is currently undertaking a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. The Green Paper sets out our ambition for the BBC to tell a unifying national story that represents all communities across the UK, and to ensure the BBC provides locally relevant services as it supports the delivery of high quality local journalism.

Supporting and sustaining local and regional media across the country is a particular concern for this Government, including in Tewkesbury and more broadly across Gloucestershire. The Government understands the important work that local and regional media do, including outlets such as Gloucestershire Live and the Cotswold Journal. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story. The overarching goal of the Strategy is to empower communities through a thriving local media which reflects the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing and local growth.

We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. DCMS ministers held a roundtable discussion with local news editors last year to discuss the planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has been meeting regularly since June to consider the issues in more detail. More will be announced on the Strategy in the coming months.

It is essential that the public has access to a wide range of views from a variety of accurate and trusted sources to support democratic participation. DCMS is committed to supporting the future sustainability of the media sector and is working across Government to help ensure a coordinated and coherent approach to upholding democracy.

All charities should be safe and trusted spaces for everyone; whether employees, volunteers or members of the public.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales recently issued a Regulatory Action Plan to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. This followed concerns that the charity's trustees were taking too long to implement reforms to safeguarding in the Church of England.

The Charity Commission has also recently issued Official Warnings to two Church of England diocesan boards of finance for failures in how safeguarding allegations were handled.

The Commission is monitoring the Church charities' compliance with the respective Action Plan and Official Warnings, and will take any steps it considers necessary and within its regulatory remit to hold trustees of Church charities to account.

The UK is a world-class host for major events, and the government is investing in a decade-long pipeline to drive economic growth and community impact.

Support for sporting events is already established through the Gold Framework. Additionally, DCMS will launch a new Visitor Economy Growth Strategy next year to strengthen the business events industry and enhance the UK's global competitiveness.

The Department welcomes the CMS Select Committee Inquiry into major events and continues to engage with industry to address challenges and identify further opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups.

The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups.

The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Research from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education demonstrates that rates of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) identification are increasing internationally, and England is one of the countries with a relatively higher percentage change of pupils identified with SEND. The research is available here: https://www.european-agency.org/activities/data/cross-country-reports

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 4 December the launch of an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism so children, young people and adults can receive the right support

The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child with special educational needs does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

Schools are trusted to use their judgement to choose high quality resources and deliver their lessons in ways that work best for their pupils.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review has recommended that the department works with experts to assess the validity of digital practice in subjects, and we will consider inclusion of relevant digital content in the national curriculum based on this process.

The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November, sets out our plans for a refreshed curriculum to ensure that all pupils develop the knowledge and skills that we know are essential for life, work and innovation.

Schools are trusted to use their judgement to choose high quality resources and deliver their lessons in ways that work best for their pupils.