First elected: 6th May 2010
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Lower the age for invites to regular mammograms to 40 & perform annually
Gov Responded - 21 Nov 2025 Debated on - 29 Jun 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsLower the age for when you are first called to 40 and provide funding to carry out Mammograms Annually instead of every Three Years
Call a public inquiry into pro-Israel influence on politics & democracy
Gov Responded - 17 Apr 2026 Debated on - 22 Jun 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe are concerned about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.
Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament
Gov Responded - 26 Feb 2026 Debated on - 8 Jun 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament. We believe this is important to uphold democracy.
Mandatory collection and publication of certain child sexual offender data
Gov Responded - 5 Dec 2025 Debated on - 1 Jun 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsPlace a statutory requirement on councils, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and all other related institutions to collect, record and publish the nationality, ethnicity, immigration status and religion of child sexual offenders, including gang based crime.
Make all court and tribunal transcripts available free of charge
Gov Responded - 3 Mar 2026 Debated on - 23 Mar 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsMake all court and tribunal transcripts available for free. Currently, fees can reach thousands, creating a "paywall" for justice. All legal records should be public property to help ensure transparency, allow for fair appeals, and support victims. Access to the law should not depend on wealth.
Remove power to cancel local government elections
Change the law to remove the power of the Secretary of State to cancel any further forthcoming local government, metropolitan borough, London borough or any other elections, for example, but not limited to, those due in May 2026.
Do not merge section 1 & 2 regulations on firearms licenses
Gov Responded - 6 Jan 2026 Debated on - 23 Feb 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsKeep section 1 firearm & section 2 shotgun licensing separate. I think this would help to protect law-abiding owners, the shooting industry, & rural communities. Policies should focus on real public safety issues without burdening responsible citizens or damaging heritage & livelihoods.
Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
Gov Responded - 15 Jan 2026 Debated on - 9 Feb 2026 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaigns in the UK.
Every school & college to be obliged to have an evacuation chair & training
Gov Responded - 23 Jun 2025 Debated on - 1 Dec 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsI believe the government should make it a legal requirement for all schools and colleges to have evacuation chairs, and for all staff to be trained in using them.
Raise statutory maternity/paternity pay to match the National Living Wage
Gov Responded - 25 Apr 2025 Debated on - 27 Oct 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsStatutory maternity and paternity pay is £4.99 per hour for a full-time worker on 37.5 hours per week - approximately 59% less than the 2024 National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21+, which has been set out to ensure a basic standard of living.
Retain legal right to assessment and support in education for children with SEND
Gov Responded - 5 Aug 2025 Debated on - 15 Sep 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsSupport in education is a vital legal right of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We ask the government to commit to maintaining the existing law, so that vulnerable children with SEND can access education and achieve their potential.
Protect Northern Ireland Veterans from Prosecutions
Gov Responded - 3 Jun 2025 Debated on - 14 Jul 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe think that the Government should not make any changes to legislation that would allow Northern Ireland Veterans to be prosecuted for doing their duty in combating terrorism as part of 'Operation Banner'. (1969-2007)
Ban driven grouse shooting
Gov Responded - 16 Jan 2025 Debated on - 30 Jun 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsChris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that driven grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; we think grouse shooting is economically insignificant when contrasted with other real and potential uses of the UK’s extensive uplands.
Decriminalise Abortion
Gov Responded - 23 Dec 2024 Debated on - 2 Jun 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsI am calling on the UK government to remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion.
Tighten the rules on political donations
Gov Responded - 26 Feb 2025 Debated on - 31 Mar 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe want the government to:
Remove loopholes that allow wealthy foreign individuals to make donations into UK political parties (e.g. by funnelling through UK registered companies).
Cap all donations to a reasonable amount.
Review limits on the fines that can be levied for breaking the rules
Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible
Gov Responded - 19 Nov 2024 Debated on - 24 Mar 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsI believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.
Don't change inheritance tax relief for working farms
Gov Responded - 5 Dec 2024 Debated on - 10 Feb 2025 View Jim Shannon's petition debate contributionsWe think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.
These initiatives were driven by Jim Shannon, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
A Bill to require the installation of automated external defibrillators in public buildings, sporting facilities, schools, higher education and other education and skills facilities, and facilities that provide care to vulnerable people; and to make associated provision about training and signage.
A Bill to require the continued appointment of a special envoy for freedom of religion or belief and make provision about the special envoy’s functions.
A Bill to require the Chancellor of the Exchequer to report to Parliament on the likely effects of increasing in line with inflation the income threshold for the High Income Child Benefit Charge and of determining that threshold by reference to household income instead of individual income.
A Bill to require the installation of automated external defibrillators in public buildings, sporting facilities, schools, higher education and other education and skills facilities, and facilities that provide care to vulnerable people; and to make associated provision about training and signage.
A Bill to require the installation of automated external defibrillators in public buildings, sporting facilities, schools, higher education and other education and skills facilities, and facilities that provide care to vulnerable people; and to make associated provision about training and signage.
A Bill to require the provision of audio announcements on public buses; and for connected purposes.
Water Safety Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Lee Pitcher (Lab)
Type 1 Diabetes Screening (Children) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Sarah Bool (Con)
Treatment of Terminal Illness Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Siobhain McDonagh (Lab)
Roadworks (Regulation) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Mark Francois (Con)
Pavement Parking Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Marsha De Cordova (Lab)
Office of the Whistleblower Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Gareth Snell (LAB)
Microplastic Filters (Washing Machines) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Alberto Costa (Con)
Glaucoma Care (England) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Shockat Adam (Ind)
Food Products (Market Regulation and Public Procurement) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Alistair Carmichael (LD)
Ferry services (Integration and Regulation) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Joe Robertson (Con)
Equitable Life Policyholders (Compensation) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Bob Blackman (Con)
Emergency and life-saving skills (schools) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Neil Shastri-Hurst (Con)
Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Julie Minns (Lab)
Elections (Accessibility for Blind Voters) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Julie Minns (Lab)
Cyber Extortion and Ransomware (Reporting) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Bradley Thomas (Con)
Child Poverty Strategy (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Kirsty Blackman (SNP)
Road Traffic (Testing of Blood) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)
Neurodivergent Conditions (Screening and Teacher Training) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Matt Hancock (Con)
Heritage Public Houses Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Marco Longhi (Con)
Autism (Early Identification) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Duncan Baker (Con)
State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
Universal Jurisdiction (Extension) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Brendan O'Hara (SNP)
Teenagers (Safety and Wellbeing) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alex Norris (LAB)
Sun Protection Products (Value Added Tax) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Amy Callaghan (SNP)
Spiking Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Richard Graham (Con)
Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Darren Henry (Con)
Sale of Tobacco (Licensing) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Bob Blackman (Con)
National Minimum Wage Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Paula Barker (Lab)
National Eye Health Strategy Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Marsha De Cordova (Lab)
Markets and market traders (review of support) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Simon Baynes (Con)
Immigration and Nationality Fees (Exemption for NHS Clinical Staff) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Rob Roberts (Ind)
First-Aid (Mental Health) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Dean Russell (Con)
Employment Equality (Insurance etc) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Natalie Elphicke (Lab)
Employment Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Steven Bonnar (SNP)
Employee Share Ownership (Reform) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - George Howarth (Lab)
Electricity Supply (Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Sam Tarry (Lab)
Criminal Appeal (Amendment) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Barry Sheerman (LAB)
Consumer Telephone Service Standards Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Robert Halfon (Con)
Bus Services (Consultation) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Dean Russell (Con)
Aviation Banning Orders (Disruptive Passengers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Gareth Johnson (Con)
Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - George Eustice (Con)
Supply of Drugs to Children Under 16 (Aggravated Offence) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Kevin Hollinrake (Con)
Pets (Microchips) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - James Daly (Con)
Flexible Working Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
Recognition of Armenian Genocide Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Seals (Protection) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Tracey Crouch (Con)
Plastics (Wet Wipes) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Fleur Anderson (Lab)
Import of Products of Forced Labour from Xinjiang (Prohibition) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Brendan O'Hara (SNP)
Digitally Altered Body Images Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Luke Evans (Con)
Digital Devices (Access for Next of Kin) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Ian Paisley (DUP)
Co-operatives (Employee Company Ownership) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Christina Rees (LAB)
Community Wealth Fund Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Paul Howell (Con)
Consumer Protection (Double Charging) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Huw Merriman (Con)
Bereavement Leave and Pay (Stillborn and Miscarried Babies) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Sarah Owen (Lab)
Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Patricia Gibson (SNP)
Transport (Disabled Passenger Charter) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Charlotte Nichols (Lab)
Electric Vehicle Charging Points (New Buildings) (No. 2) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Felicity Buchan (Con)
Tree-lined Streets Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Chris Clarkson (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Sexual Offences (Sports Coaches) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tracey Crouch (Con)
Education Employment (Accompaniment to Hearings) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Brendan Clarke-Smith (Con)
Desecration of War Memorials Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)
Conveyancing Standards Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Marco Longhi (Con)
Pets (Microchips) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - James Daly (Con)
Ministerial Interests (Emergency Powers) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Owen Thompson (SNP)
New Homes (New Development Standards) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con)
Jet Skis (Licensing) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Hywel Williams (PC)
Digitally Altered Body Images Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Luke Evans (Con)
Hong Kong Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Alistair Carmichael (LD)
Immigration (Health and Social Care Staff) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Christine Jardine (LD)
Clean Air (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Chris Philp (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Parental Leave (Premature and Sick Babies) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - David Linden (SNP)
Police Officer Training (Autism Awareness) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Ann Clwyd (Lab)
Gambling (Industry Levy Review and Protections for Vulnerable People) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Richard Graham (Con)
Parental Rights (Rapists) and Family Courts Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Louise Haigh (Lab)
Compensation Orders (Child Sexual Abuse) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Andrew Griffiths (Con)
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019
Sponsor - Geoffrey Robinson (Lab)
Access to Fertility Services Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord McCabe (Lab)
Hospital (Parking Charges and Business Rates) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Voter Registration (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Armed Forces (Derogation from European Convention on Human Rights) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Leo Docherty (Con)
Election Expenses (Authorisation of Free or Discounted Support) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Con)
Multi-employer Pension Schemes Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
British Indian Ocean Territory (Citizenship) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Henry Smith (Con)
Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Food Insecurity Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Emma Lewell (Lab)
Immigration Detention of Victims of Torture and Other Vulnerable People (Safeguards) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Joan Ryan (TIG)
Gypsy and Traveller Communities (Housing, Planning and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Andrew Selous (Con)
Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018
Sponsor - Steve Reed (LAB)
Public Sector Supply Chains (Project Bank Accounts) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Debbie Abrahams (Lab)
Wild Animals in Circuses Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Trudy Harrison (Con)
Pets (Theft) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Ross Thomson (Con)
Armed Forces (Statute of Limitations) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Benyon (XB)
Terminal Illness (Provision of Palliative Care and Support for Carers) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Bambos Charalambous (Lab)
Child Maintenance Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Marion Fellows (SNP)
Cold Weather Payments Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Hywel Williams (PC)
DiGeorge Syndrome (Review and National Health Service Duty) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - David Duguid (Con)
Refugees (Family Reunion) (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Angus Brendan MacNeil (Ind)
Courts (Abuse of Process) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Liz Saville Roberts (PC)
Crime (Assaults on Emergency Services Staff) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Holly Lynch (Lab)
Feeding Products for Babies and Children (Advertising and Promotion) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Alison Thewliss (SNP)
Statutory Nuisance (Aircraft Noise) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Tania Mathias (Con)
Representation of the People (Voter Proof of Identity) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Chris Green (Con)
Organ Donors (Leave) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Louise Haigh (Lab)
Ministers and their departments regularly assess how support services meet the needs to survivors of sexual violence. That is why the government has committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years – the largest investment in victim support services to date.
As part of Employment Rights Act 2025, we took the first step towards requiring large employers from the private and voluntary sectors in England, Wales and Scotland and the public sector in England to publish an action plan detailing what they are doing to support employees through the menopause. In order to support employers to produce their plans, we will provide guidance on the actions we recommend they take, drawn from existing evidence. This is likely to include elements around workplace flexibility and training for line managers and will be publicly available for all employers.
In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions has already published guidance for small employers on measures to consider relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause-related leave and absence. This is available on the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service website.
Furthermore, broader measures introduced as part of the Employment Rights Act 2025 will encourage more supportive workplaces. With elements around access to flexible working and changes to Statutory Sick Pay helping employees managing menopause symptoms.
The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace and in wider society.
The government has introduced and supports a number of schemes and initiatives to support those who have faced discrimination in the workplace. Among these are the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).
The EASS is a government helpline established to provide free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination concerns. You can contact the EASS via their website, which you can access here: http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/, by telephone on 0808 8000082 or text phone on 0808 8000084. The EASS is able to intervene on an individual’s behalf with a service provider to help resolve an issue. The EASS can also advise people who wish to take their complaint further on their options.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.
The Employment Rights Bill, introduced to Parliament on 10 October 2024, contains robust measures to safeguard working people, including protections from sexual harassment, employer action plans covering gender and menopause, and improved dismissal protections for new and expecting mothers.
There are approximately 16,200 Church of England churches, over 12,000 of which are listed. Of those listed churches, around 4,300 are listed at the highest level of Grade 1, making the Church of England responsible for about half of the Grade I listed buildings in the country.
Modern slavery remains hidden in British society, and the National Church Institutions of the Church of England take human trafficking and modern slavery seriously. With the support of the then Prime Minister Theresa May, the Church set up the Clewer Initiative in 2017 as its response to the prevalence of modern slavery, developing several tools for addressing modern slavery through the 'Car Wash' and 'Nail Bar' apps, and creating resources for identifying and tackling the exploitative agricultural and social care labour, sexual exploitation, and county lines trafficking
The Clewer Initiative continues to work closely across the Church in its parishes and dioceses to raise awareness through engagement with police, support and information services, and direct work with victims of trafficking in communities. You can find out more about their work here: https://theclewerinitiative.org. As the Clewer Initiative is in the process of becoming a separate charity, the National Church Institutions cannot provide a more detailed assessment of their work
The parishes of the Church of England are, through the clergy and congregations, committed to tackling the issues of modern slavery and offering support and signposting to victims on an ongoing basis
The Church Commissioners have continued at a global level to challenge the businesses in which they invest to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains. Details about the policies of the National Investing Bodies towards Human Rights, modern slavery, and combating trafficking can be found here: human-rights-advice-and-policy.pdf. Page 38 of the Church Commissioners' stewardship report also gives more details about how the Church Commissioners are addressing modern slavery in the companies in which they invest: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/6677_cc_stewardship_v11b_0.pdf
The Lord Bishop of Bristol, who serves as the Church's lead Bishop on modern slavery, continues to advocate for more action on modern slavery through her work in Parliament with the Government and civil society. London has the highest number of reported cases of modern slavery, and the Diocese of London has recently launched a campaign and resources to inform, support and address this issue. More information can be found here: https://www.london.anglican.org/church-and-parish-support/compassionate-communities/refugees-asylum-seekers-modern-slavery/responding-to-modern-slavery/?searchterm=modern+slavery
National Church Institutions staff are also receiving training to help them spot signs of modern slavery and how to access help for those affected.
The Church of England works closely with the Royal College of Organists to encourage and promote the playing of the organ and encourage young people to develop their talents. The increased visibility of some high-profile players on social media is also increasing awareness of the instrument and opportunities for playing the organ in and beyond the church.
The Church of England offer grants to support the conservation of historic organs in CofE churches and works closely with organisations that promote organ culture and heritage, including the Royal College of Organists, British Institute of Organ Studies, and Institute of British Organ Building, to share policy interests and promote good practice.
Churches in rural areas often play an important role as a community hub and a place to connect with others. The Church of England has many examples of communities tackling social isolation and loneliness; this may be through traditional offering of worship services, via a home visit for the housebound, or through providing social spaces in the church or church hall for people to gather.
Across the country, and especially in rural communities, churches run around 31,000 community-based initiatives, offering warm spaces, intergenerational children and community projects, coffee mornings, health and wellbeing groups, dementia cafés, community libraries, village shops, as well as spaces for cultural experiences and art exhibitions.
A good example of this work can be found in the research produced by the Archbishops' Commission on Reimagining Care. Commission Members visited a church-led cafe in Kirkby Thore in Cumbria, part of the Renew Wellbeing movement. This provided space for refreshments, games and quiet reflection for people of all ages, but proved particularly popular with older people.
The growing movement towards social prescribing in primary care recognises the important role that faith groups, including churches, play in the health of their communities. Churches are working closely with local GPs in many parts of the country to offer a wide range of specific activities that encourage group work or physical activity. Some good examples of this have been the development of churchyard working groups and gardening projects, community book group and discussion groups, and craft clubs, which all offer people the opportunity meet, chat and make new connections. A recent report has been published by the think-tank Theos, assessing some of the range of projects churches are engaging with, which can be found here: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/research/2023/08/09/faith-in-social-prescribing
One of the key priorities set by the National Church Institutions, working with the dioceses, is to double the number of children and young active disciples by 2030.
From 2022-2023, there was an increase of 4% in the number of children and young people attending places of worship. The commitment to growing engagement with young people is not merely about increasing numbers in congregations, but improving understanding, cultural awareness, and engagement with Christianity, its teachings and theology.
Significant central funding has been allocated to support the vision, and in 2023/24, the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) invested £158 million to deliver the Church's vision and strategy in local communities and parishes.
27% of this funding was dedicated to young people, and research was conducted to address key challenges. Investments are being made in training for clergy, starting new worship services, and building relationships between schools and churches.
Resources have been produced for churches to encourage them to develop volunteers with young people. We are also seeking to grow digital engagement through 'The Way UK’.
Age discrimination that cannot be objectively justified is unacceptable and unlawful across a range of fields under the Equality Act 2010 and similar legislation (on employment) in Northern Ireland. The strong protections in the 2010 Act enable older people to challenge such behaviour and ultimately seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.
More widely, the Government's £240 million Get Britain Working package will improve support for people, including older people, who are economically inactive, unemployed or want to develop their careers. The Department for Work and Pensions currently offers employment support through Jobcentres and tailored one-to-one support for eligible over 50s on Universal Credit, as well as 'Midlife MOT' reviews to help older workers to review their health, finances and skills to prevent poverty in later life.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) keeps MPs' staff pay under review and periodically assesses benchmarking data so that pay scales remain in line with the salaries of other similar roles within the public sector.
There are seven standard MPs' staff roles plus interns, each having different job descriptions, required skills and competencies, experience, and levels of responsibility. IPSA's benchmarking process insures that salary differentials reflect the market rates for different roles.
IPSA annually presents its recommendations to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority as part of the committee's review of IPSA's main estimate.
The Church of England is committed to ecumenical partnerships at every level and is seeking to increase its work with others, including newer partners
Ecumenical activity in the Church of England is overseen by the Council for Christian Unity (CCU). This is supported by a network of local clergy who act as Denominational Ecumenical Officers (DEOs).
Evidence shows that ecumenical partnerships increase the effectiveness of local projects, including food banks, warm spaces, youth work and refugee resettlement. These partnerships reduce duplication and administrative burdens, enable better resource management, provide better support for volunteers, and build stronger relationships across diverse communities. There is some evidence that ecumenical partnerships are becoming significant in the pursuit of racial justice, particularly where unity groups consciously seek wider membership.
CCU is currently working with the Church of England’s Data Services unit to study Single Congregation Local Ecumenical Partnerships (SCLEPs). This research should also be available later in the year
The Church of England works with partners through ecumenical instruments. Churches Together in England (CTE) now has more than 50 member churches and has experienced notable growth amongst Pentecostal and Orthodox members. Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) works with the national ecumenical instruments and member churches, learning from the work of peace and reconciliation on these islands and building on that experience with collaboration on other areas of shared concern.
CTBI carried out research in 2024 into the work carried out by churches and charities around Climate Sunday. This research will help in the planning of future projects.
Lord Evans of Weardale KCB DL was appointed by the Prime Minister to be the Chair of the Crown Nominations Committee (CNC) for the See of Canterbury on 16th December: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-chairman-of-the-crown-nominations-commission-for-canterbury-16-december-2024
In February and March 2025 the Church of England will undertake an extensive public consultation exercise to inform the CNC's discernment. The consultation will consider the role of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the mission of the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, and the gifts, skills, and experience needed in the next Archbishop.
Through this consultation, Members of Parliament and the public will be able to submit their views on how the Church of England engages on a wide range of issues—including freedom of religion and belief—and the leadership required from the next Archbishop. Specific details of how to contribute to the consultation are expected to be made available in the next few weeks.
Once open, the consultation will be available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/archbishops/appointing-new-archbishop-canterbury
The bishops of the Church of England frequently raise issues of freedom of religion and belief in the House of Lords, and seek to highlight the need for its protection overseas in their visits and public interventions. The Bishop of Winchester, in 2019 as Bishop of Truro, authored the Independent Review for the UK Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians. The Church also looks forward to working with the newly appointed Prime Ministerial Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief
Equalities Ministers have regular discussions with their colleagues across Government about tackling online harassment as part of the Government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. These include the Safer Streets Mission Board and Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial meetings.
The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and jobseekers to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues. This could include improving access to premises for wheelchair users, through installing ramps or other auxiliary aids or services.
The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments could amount to direct disability discrimination. However, the Act also recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled employees and the circumstances of their employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will therefore depend on the circumstances of each case.
Strong legal remedies are available to employees and applicants who feel that they have experienced disability discrimination by an employer. Guidance and codes of practice have been published by The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas, to help employers follow the law and employees and applicants understand their rights.
Church of England churches run or support 35,000 social action projects, including 60% of churches supporting 8,000 food banks with volunteers, donations, venues, or a combination of these. 12,000 churches are involved in the Trussell food bank network overall.
In July 2024, the General Synod voted by 274-1 in favour of a motion that noted the contribution to social welfare being made by churches and others in the provision of food banks, and with concern about the levels of dependence on food banks, called on His Majesty’s Government to review the adequacy of current social security provision. The debate highlighted specific examples from churches across the country in meeting the need for food and other essential goods.
This government is clear that no one should be disadvantaged because of their religion or belief. The Equality Act 2010 provides protection from discrimination to anyone with a religious or philosophical belief, as well as to those who lack a religion or belief.
The Minister for Women and Equalities will continue to work with the Minister for Faith in MHCLG to ensure that people of faith are not discriminated against, in line with the Act.
We are committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. The plan to ‘Make Work Pay’ will transform the lives of working women, including by strengthening rights to equal pay and providing protections from maternity and menopause discrimination and sexual harassment.
With regard to STEM opportunities, we will continue to support learners who wish to have a career in STEM through our technical education offer with a range of high quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities at all levels. We have also looked specifically at support for those returning to the sector after a break for caring, and will feed this learning into wider work on breaking down barriers for women in the workplace.
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and jobseekers to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues. This could include improving access to premises for wheelchair users, through installing ramps or other auxiliary aids or services.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has a strong record of bringing successful prosecutions in terrorism cases and works very closely with Counter Terrorism policing and partners to help build strong cases.
Cases are prosecuted by the specialist CPS Counter Terrorism Division. Recently published Home Office statistics confirmed that in the year ending 30 June 2025, of the 83 persons who were tried for all terrorism-related offences, 80 were convicted (96%).
There are several offences that can be used to prosecute those who promote terrorism, including offences of disseminating terrorist publications, encouraging terrorism, and for the preparation of acts of terrorism or to assist others in preparation of acts of terrorism.
The Government takes the use of artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) extremely seriously. Offences involving AI-generated CSAM – including so-called ‘deepfakes’ – are an increasing concern for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to the realism of such images and the speed and scale at which they can be produced.
Creating, possessing, or distributing AI-generated CSAM is already a criminal offence. The Online Safety Act expands upon this by placing a duty on online platforms to proactively identify and remove this type of content. The CPS will prosecute individuals who commit these offences whenever the legal test is met.
The Attorney General’s Office and CPS are working closely with criminal justice partners to identify and address any legislative gaps. The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new offence to criminalise AI models that have been optimised to create CSAM. It will also expand existing legislation on ‘paedophile manuals’ to enable the prosecution of individuals who instruct others on how to use AI tools to generate CSAM.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes hate crimes in England and Wales.
In the year to December 2024, in England and Wales the CPS prosecuted 14,657 defendants for offences flagged as hate crimes with a charge rate of 87.4%, and a conviction rate of 86.1%.
Data for Q4 2024-2025 will be published on the CPS website (CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service) in due course.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes hate crimes in England and Wales. In the year to December 2024, in England and Wales the CPS prosecuted 14,657 defendants for offences flagged as hate crimes with a charge rate of 87.4%, and a conviction rate of 86.1%. Further information can be found in quarterly data published on the CPS website: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.
The Government is working tirelessly to improve the cyber resilience of our most critical services and systems, including the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, currently going through Parliament, will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences to tackle the evolving cyber threats we face. The Bill will protect more essential and digital services from cyber attacks, enable cyber regulators to be more effective, and provide the Government with the flexibility to respond to new threats in the cyber landscape.
In addition, the new Cyber Resilience Index, currently under development, will allow us to monitor progress of interventions against cyber resilience across the CNI landscape, ensuring that they keep pace with the evolving threat.
Details of Government contracts awarded during the last financial year (2025/26) are published on the Find a Tender service central digital platform which is available at https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search. Under the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023, the whole contract should be published when the procurement is valued over £5m.
National security policy is decided by the National Security Council, and is supported at official level by the National Security Council (Officials) – both of which are attended by a range of departments depending on the subject.
The National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office coordinates national security across Government, and with agencies. The Secretariat implements the National Security Strategy, and has developed an internal implementation approach to ensure accountability and delivery.
As set out in the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, the Cabinet Office provides scrutiny of response capabilities across the UK government through National Capabilities Assessments which take place every 2-3 years.
These are supplemented by regular check-ins and assessments of risk plans by the Cabinet Office, informed by the near-term risk profile.
Recent responses to outbreaks of meningitis B and hantavirus have shown the importance of rapid convening of departments and Devolved Governments to offer government support, and provide coordination to the response. Bringing together the right individuals facilitated the repatriation of high-risk hantavirus contacts from UK Overseas Territories, safeguarding vulnerable populations and protecting healthcare systems.
The Cabinet Office is the lead government department for severe weather. This role involves managing current seasonal incidents while proactively preparing for the upcoming season. Ongoing preparations include updating cross-government plans with lessons learned, leading horizon scanning meetings with the Severe Weather Resilience Network, and conducting cross-government exercises.
The Cabinet Office is conducting a rapid lessons learned review with the Severe Weather Resilience Network regarding last week’s heatwave to ensure key lessons are implemented ahead of any further extreme weather this summer.
Government Departments are individual public authorities in their own right under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is the responsibility of each department to ensure that their processes enable them to comply with the legislation.
The Government is committed to creating a productive and agile state, which includes reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication across departments and public bodies.
The Cabinet Office continues to strengthen cross-government controls to ensure departments adhere to standards and avoid the duplication of functions, ensuring taxpayer money is spent efficiently and effectively.
On 20 January, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister outlined his commitments to rewire Whitehall and modernize public services, with a specific focus on enhancing public sector productivity through rapid operational delivery and resolution.
A core element of this initiative is ensuring that innovation, frontline delivery and private sector skills and experience is valued equally alongside policy development, ensuring a strong institutional focus on delivery.
Assessments of turnover and time in post are made routinely on an annual basis on behalf of the Civil Service Government People Group (now the Future Civil Service).
The total number of civil servants on a temporary contract, including those on casual contracts, is published quarterly by Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of their quarterly public sector employment statistics and is available at Table 8 of each release:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable
The effectiveness and implementation of the Government Functional Standard for Commercial (GovS 008) is assessed through the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework (CCIAF). The CCIAF provides a structured framework that allows government departments and wider public-sector organisations to self-assess their commercial practices against the standard and benchmark their performance against their peers.
Since the current version of the GovS 008 and CCIAF launched in May 2022, a total of 149 contracting authorities across the public sector have enrolled, representing a combined third-party spend in excess of £162 billion.
The Government Commercial Function utilises the assessment detail to drive capability and maturity initiatives across government.
Assessments of the representation of women and ethnic minorities in Senior Civil Service roles are made on a regular basis, and at least annually.
The representation of women in the Senior Civil Service has increased year on year since it was created in 1996. As at 1 April 2025 49.9% of Senior Civil Servants are women, up from 49.6% in the previous year, and 16.7% in 1996.
The representation of people from an ethnic minority background in the Senior Civil Service has increased year on year since 2013. As at 1 April 2025 9.1% of Senior Civil Servants are from an ethnic minority background, up from 8.9% in the previous year, and 3.9% in 2013.
The Cabinet Office is fully committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of civil servants.
All departments provide comprehensive Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and Occupational Health services, ensuring staff have direct access to counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and specialist trauma support. To supplement this, trained Mental Health First Aiders and equivalents are in place to provide immediate advice and signposting.
The Civil Service routinely benchmarks its approach to employee sickness absence and health and wellbeing to ensure it aligns to best practice. As part of the Civil Service People Plan 2024-27, we are undertaking research to better understand and address the underlying factors behind mental health-related absence of civil servants.
The Government publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations on a quarterly basis.
Following the Prime Minister’s correspondence dated 11 March 2026, the Ethics and Integrity Commission is undertaking a review into lobbying, disclosure, and access to government.
On receipt of the EIC's report, the Government will look carefully at any recommendations to improve transparency in these areas.
The Government is committed to the effective delivery of public services, including ensuring that services are easy for citizens to access. The Prime Minister has established a Public Services Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. The Committee is considering all matters related to improving the population’s experience of public services, and their ability to access services.
Freedom of Information statistics for all central government departments and other monitored bodies are published on a quarterly and annual basis on Gov.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
Information on the number of civil servants working at SCS level employed on a full-time equivalent basis is published annually by Cabinet Office as part of the accredited official statistics publication ‘Civil Service Statistics’. Data as at 31 March each year for the years 2021 to 2025 can be accessed through the ‘Civil Service Statistics data browser’ for each of these five years using the links below:
Information on the number of civil servants employed in each Government department are published quarterly by Office for National Statistics (ONS) with a one quarter lag as part of their accredited official statistics publication ‘Public Sector Employment’. Latest data as at end September 2025 can be accessed using the web link below.
Information on Civil Service employment as at end December 2025 is scheduled for publication by ONS as part of these statistics on 19 March 2025.
The Government Property Strategy is driving a shift towards a smaller, better, and greener public estate. Significant progress has been made in consolidating the public estate. By disposing of unneeded assets, the Government has generated over £2 billion in capital receipts since 2022.
Programmes like One Public Estate are successfully unlocking potential across England by enabling co-location, releasing land for housing, and improving local public services. Since 2013, this work has helped transform places, supporting the release of land for over 54,000 homes, the creation of over 93,000 jobs, and delivering £211 million in running cost savings. Programmes to improve estate efficiency also operate in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, under the direction of the devolved administrations.
Co-location is also a key feature of the Government office estate, with multi-department hubs now operating across the UK. This initiative, alongside the Places for Growth drive to move roles to cities and regions, has allowed the Government - through the Plan for London - to commit to leaving 11 expensive London locations, saving taxpayers £94 million by 2032. Beyond the office estate, OPE also facilitates co-location of services, for example the Middlesborough Live Well hub which brings together public health services with employment, education, housing and welfare support.
The Government Property Strategy also focuses on ensuring the efficient use of the wider public estate. Full details on the performance and utilisation of the estate are presented to the House annually in the State of the Estate report.
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.
The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) launched the Contingent Decision process for members who opted out of the scheme in July 2025. However, the process for members who switched to the Partnership pension scheme involves additional complexity, requiring the reconciliation of contributions between defined contribution and defined benefit arrangements. Planning is underway to define the process and timeline, and we aim to open the process later in 2026.
A launch date for the Partnership Contingent Decision route cannot be confirmed at this time. The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) launched the Contingent Decision process for members who opted out of the scheme in July 2025. However, the process for members who switched to the Partnership pension scheme involves additional complexity, requiring the reconciliation of contributions between defined contribution and defined benefit arrangements.
The administration of this work will now be picked up by Capita who took over the CSPS contract on 1 December. Planning work has started to define the process and timeline.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) is addressing unused floorspace by strategically reducing the overall size of the estate through consolidation and lease management, while simultaneously optimising the use of remaining space by adopting Smarter Working principles and leveraging technology for better utilisation.
Government efficiency, transparency and accountability are key pillars of the Procurement Act 2023 which came into force this year. The Act establishes a new exclusions framework that makes it easier to exclude suppliers who have underperformed in the delivery of other public contracts or acted improperly in procurement. The Act has also created a debarment list which will publicly list suppliers who must or may be excluded from contracts.
The new Central Digital Platform is also improving accessibility to procurement data, ensuring accountability and enabling the public and stakeholders to scrutinise spending decisions and track procurement outcomes.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th July is attached.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th July is attached.