Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what assessment his Department has made of adequacy of training for reporting child sexual abuse for (a) healthcare professionals and (b) people who volunteer to deliver healthcare services for children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crime of child sexual abuse. Every registered health professional working across the National Health Service has a professional duty of care to protect children from abuse, harm, or violence. This will be strengthened through the introduction of mandatory reporting, as part of the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, which introduces a legal duty for those who work with children, including volunteers, to report child sexual abuse to the police or social services.
The Government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty, and we will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure that the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
All healthcare staff and volunteers working with NHS providers complete mandatory safeguarding training. This training is being strengthened for launch in December 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and supporting victims of abuse.
The Department and NHS England are developing standalone training on addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation for launch in 2026 to further support healthcare staff to identify victims and survivors and respond in a supportive and trauma-informed manner.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse for people undertaking key roles with children and young people are adequately trained to meet this duty.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Everyone who is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children should receive appropriate training on referral processes. The government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty, and we will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
Each organisation will need to judge how best to support its own staff in in adhering to the requirements of the duty and developing their response to child sexual abuse.
Recognising that support is necessary in this complex area, the Home Office funds the independent Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to further strengthen the ability of professionals to understand, identify and respond appropriately to concerns of child sexual abuse through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training for reporting child sexual abuse for (a) school teachers and (b) people who volunteer to deliver services for children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or police if they are concerned about a child, including the reporting of child sexual abuse.
Recognising that support is necessary, the Home Office provides funds to the independent Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to further strengthen the ability of professionals to understand, identify and respond appropriately to concerns of child sexual abuse through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources.
Everyone who is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children should receive appropriate training on such referral processes.
Mandatory reporting introduces a legal duty for those who work with children in a relevant activity to report child sexual abuse to the police or social services. We have committed to delaying commencement of the duty to ensure sectors are prepared for its introduction.
The government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty. We will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the requirements of the new duty are clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to make a decision on funding for the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has not ruled out a future investment. We will continue to work together to explore options.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which projects in Nigeria (a) receive funding from the Integrated Security Fund and (b) have ceased to receive funding from the Integrated Security Fund in the previous five financial years.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Since 1 April 2024 the cross-government Integrated Security Fund (ISF), and the previous Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) have funded projects in Nigeria led by several government departments.
The CSSF and ISF has funded projects supporting Nigeria’s security and resilience in line with our priorities identified through the UK–Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue. This has included projects dedicated to security sector reform to better meet the security needs of communities in vulnerable areas, strengthen accountability, improve the inclusion of women and girls to advance peacebuilding efforts and improve regional and inter-agency coordination. The ISF also funds projects which improve Nigeria’s capability to counter terrorism, serious and organised crime and illicit finance which directly threaten the UK and our interests. Historically the CSSF and ISF have funded projects to enhance Nigeria’s cyber resilience and reduce the upstream drivers of illicit migration to the UK.
The ISF is an agile fund, which directs its funding towards projects focused on tackling the top national security threats to the UK, and therefore ceases funding projects which have achieved their objectives, or when funding can be better directed to address more pressing threats.
The Hon Member can find further details on Overseas Development Aid (ODA) programmes supported in Nigeria on the GOV.UK Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/).
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Seafish, Shellfish Association of Great Britain and the Crab and Lobster Management Group on the adequacy of the Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Crabs, Lobsters, Crawfish and Nephrops in helping to ensure the improvement of animal welfare standards.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting animal welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. As part of this, the Department has engaged with key stakeholders, such as the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, regarding current industry practices and standards.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to work with the UK’s zoos and aquariums to provide opportunities for conservation translocations and the reintroduction of native species as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 requires zoos in Great Britain to undertake conservation work which can include where appropriate, the repopulation of an area with, or the reintroduction into the wild of, wild animals. Defra is committed to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species where the benefits for the environment and people are clear.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has put processes in place to prioritise UK produced steel in procurement for small modular nuclear reactor projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to develop the SMR project, subject to final government approvals.
GBE-N’s ambition is to ensure that 70% of supply chain products are British built across the SMR fleet, creating thousands more jobs across the supply chain.
The government will continue to engage with industry to address barriers to entry in the nuclear sector so that UK companies are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities created.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the scope of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to include decapod crustaceans; and what the timeline is for any work required prior to the decision.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognises decapod crustaceans as sentient beings. The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans, both for those caught for human consumption and those used in scientific research.
The Home Office is carefully considering next steps, in collaboration with other relevant departments, on whether decapod crustaceans should be regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. No timeline has yet been set and decisions will follow further evidence gathering.
The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption. The strategy is available at:
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the assurance processes are under which the Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) of Major Schemes are conducted.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways follows its established “Analytical Assurance Framework” for assuring POPE reports, which includes fourth line independent external expert analytical assurance from DfT.
As these are complex reports it is right that my officials take the time to provide summary advice of these reports in the round and undertake wider assurance to advise me on the quality of collective findings.