Oral Answers to Questions

Oliver Colvile Excerpts

Thursday 7th July 2016 Commons Chamber

The right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners was asked—

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

1. What discussions the Church of England has had with the Government on plans to regulate out-of-school education settings.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)]

3. What discussions the Church of England has had with the Government on plans to regulate out-of-school education settings.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

Representatives of the Church of England have taken part in detailed consultations with the Government over the proposals to regulate out-of-school settings. I recently led a delegation of Back Benchers to a meeting at the Cabinet Office and we learned that this policy remains under review. I am hopeful that something will emerge that meets the key concerns that many of us have voiced.

[Oliver Colvile]

What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with the Government regarding the new portionality and the current role of existing regulations, such as data barring service checks, in out-of-school settings?.

[Mrs Spelman]

This is important because the Church of England provides 500,000 children with out-of-school education activities, which involves 80,000 volunteers. However, as hon. Members will know, anyone who works with children in out-of-school settings has to be subject to a careful check—the Disclosure and Barring Service check. There is no suggestion that our representations to Government in any way undermine our determination that children should be well protected, but we believe that they are in what the Church of England provides.