“To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to establish an independent safeguarding system.”
Asked by
Richard Baker
Answering Minister
the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners
Answer from Hansard
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.