Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Baker Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Commons Chamber

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

[Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)]

11. What steps the Church of England is taking to establish an independent safeguarding system.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Marsha De Cordova)]

Last year, the General Synod voted to reform safeguarding structures. Those reforms intend to ensure greater safeguarding, independent scrutiny and consistency of delivery across the Church and will come to Parliament for final approval in due course. Other progress made since the vote in February 2025 has been the appointment of Dame Christine Ryan as the independent executive chair of the safeguarding structures programme board, who brings significant senior experience in safeguarding regulation, policy and delivery. She will provide an update on her plans and proposals to the General Synod when it meets next month.

[Richard Baker]

I thank my hon. Friend for that update. Does she agree that there should be no further delay in the Church adopting a fully independent model for safeguarding and that it is vital that Church authorities and our new Archbishop of Canterbury act to restore confidence in safeguarding in the Church?

[Marsha De Cordova]

No one will be surprised to hear that I agree with my hon. Friend; it is vital to restore confidence and trust. Work is being done across the country by local safeguarding officers—often volunteers—and I thank them for all their hard work. The archbishop-elect has repeatedly stated that safeguarding will be a significant priority for her as she takes up her role, and I look forward to working with her on this.