Written questions by Thomas.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to take steps to the Government plans to engage civil society on strengthening trusted information ecosystems.

Making information ecosystems stronger requires collaboration between Government, industry and civil society. Last year, Ofcom established the Online Information Advisory Committee, bringing together civil society and industry to build a deeper understanding of challenges relating to the online information environment, including suggesting options to tackle mis- and disinformation.DSIT’s media literacy work supports people to navigate online systems safely. We are improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government delivery and collaboration with Ofcom and civil society. Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom also have a media literacy strategy, which prioritises work with civil society and communities to build online resilience.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of fragmented media systems on democracy.

It is essential that the public has access to a wide range of views from a variety of accurate and trusted sources to support democratic participation. DCMS is committed to supporting the future sustainability of the media sector and is working across Government to help ensure a coordinated and coherent approach to upholding democracy.

Whether she plans to support civic education initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience to foreign propaganda.

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups. The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC Board on ensuring that it continues to report on local and regional stories of interest.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair to discuss a wide range of issues.The Government is currently undertaking a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. The Green Paper sets out our ambition for the BBC to tell a unifying national story that represents all communities across the UK, and to ensure the BBC provides locally relevant services as it supports the delivery of high quality local journalism.

What steps he is taking to help improve cross-government coordination to counter hostile state narratives promoted through domestic voices.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce has a mandate to drive forward a whole-government response to the full range of threats to our democracy, including foreign information operations.This response includes the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan, which I announced in the House in November.Coordinated by the Cabinet Office with the support of Departments across Whitehall, this plan is designed to disrupt the ecosystem of proxy organisations and individuals used by foreign states to facilitate interference.

What steps she is taking to help tackle gaps in public knowledge on the origins of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups. The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help strengthen public confidence in safeguarding within the Church of England.

All charities should be safe and trusted spaces for everyone; whether employees, volunteers or members of the public. The Charity Commission for England and Wales recently issued a Regulatory Action Plan to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. This followed concerns that the charity's trustees were taking too long to implement reforms to safeguarding in the Church of England. The Charity Commission has also recently issued Official Warnings to two Church of England diocesan boards of finance for failures in how safeguarding allegations were handled. The Commission is monitoring the Church charities' compliance with the respective Action Plan and Official Warnings, and will take any steps it considers necessary and within its regulatory remit to hold trustees of Church charities to account.

Representing the Church Commissioner, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the communication of the outcomes of Clergy Disciplinary Measures of the Church of England within the Church.

The National Church Institutions are in the final process of updating the Clergy Discipline Measure. The Legislative Committee of the General Synod will ask Members of the General Synod at its sitting in February 2026 to give their final approval to one minor change requested by the Ecclesiastical Committee of ParliamentUntil the General Synod and Parliament approve the new Measure and it receives Royal Assent, the law relating to the current operation of the Clergy Discipline Measure is outlined as below:The Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 (“the Measure”) and the Clergy Discipline Rules 2005 (“the Rules”)provide for a statutory framework to investigate allegations of misconduct committed by clergy, and to enable formal disciplinary proceedings brought under the Measure to be dealt with justly, in a way that is both fair to all relevant interested persons and proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the issues raisedThe general position is that any hearing brought under the Measure is heard in private, although there is discretion for the tribunal or court to direct that a hearing shall be in public, if it is satisfied that it is in the interests of justice so to do or where the respondent requests that the hearing should be in publicHowever, under the Rules, once a decision in relation to misconduct is reached by the panel, the pronouncement of any decision is to be in public, and a copy of the tribunal’s written decision is sent to the relevant bishop, as well as the complainant, the respondent, the registrar, and the provincial registrarWhere misconduct is proved, and a penalty is to be imposed, the Rules also make it clear that the pronouncement of any penalty is to be in public, and, as with the written decision in relation to misconduct, the decision to impose a penalty or penalties is also recorded in writing, and a copy of the written decision is sent to the relevant bishop, as well as the complainant, the respondent, the registrar, and the provincial registrarIn relation to wider communication or publication, once a written decision (in relation to misconduct or in relation to a penalty) is handed down by the Chair or panel, the Office of the President of Tribunals arranges for the written decision to be published on the Church of England website (in the section: About / Governance / Legal Resources / Clergy Discipline)Further communication thereafter remains at the discretion of the Diocese or parties as to whether they issue a press release to communicate the outcome more widely. There are no mandatory requirements under the Measure or the Rules for wider communication of outcomes.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place within the Church of England.

The Archbishops’ Council, as part of the National Church Institutions, is responsible for overseeing the work of the National Safeguarding Team (NST).The NST continues to strengthen safeguarding across the Church of England at all levels. All national safeguarding policies have been comprehensively revised over the past five years and are now legally enforceable Codes of Practice, supported by detailed good practice guidance covering all aspects of church safeguarding.An extensive training programme is being delivered: in 2025, over 65,000 individuals completed the Basic Safeguarding Module, and over 35,000 people undertook domestic abuse training.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Church of England on taking steps to help ensure that senior appointments within the Church uphold (a) accountability and (b) safeguarding culture.

Senior appointments within the Church are undertaken under the Standing Orders of the Church of England laid down by the Church’s elected body, the General Synod, which govern the Crown Nominations Commission, the committee which nominates Archbishops and diocesan Bishops. Safeguarding ability is an essential requirement for all senior positions, necessitating enhanced DBS checks and specialist training as well as being assessed as part of the application paperwork and at interview.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of ending the crown exemption for the Duchy of (a) Lancaster and (b) Cornwall on reducing the budget deficit.

The income from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall forms part of the King’s and Prince of Wales’s private income. The tax treatment of that income is as set out in the in the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation, which can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-on-royal-taxation-2023

What consideration her Department has given to ending the crown exemption for the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall.

The income from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall forms part of the King’s and Prince of Wales’s private income. The tax treatment of that income is as set out in the in the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation, which can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-on-royal-taxation-2023

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on people undertaking wildlife management.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on the backlog for firearms licensing.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on clay target shooting businesses.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on (a) Police Firearms forces and (b) the number of officers dealing with applications.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide additional funding required to enable the development of the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme.

The government is committed to boosting housing supply and unlocking economic growth. My Department is providing an additional £71.5 million in funding to the M5 Junction 10 Housing Infrastructure Funding project. The project is expected to directly unlock 8,900 homes; enable a further 12,000 homes; and support major developments around Cheltenham at Golden Valley and the National Cyber Innovation Centre, with up to 12,000 jobs expected to be created.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the M5 Junction 10 improvement scheme on local housing development and economic growth.

The government is committed to boosting housing supply and unlocking economic growth. My Department is providing an additional £71.5 million in funding to the M5 Junction 10 Housing Infrastructure Funding project. The project is expected to directly unlock 8,900 homes; enable a further 12,000 homes; and support major developments around Cheltenham at Golden Valley and the National Cyber Innovation Centre, with up to 12,000 jobs expected to be created.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to fund the M5 Junction 10 improvement scheme on housing development.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 104999 on 19 January 2026.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential that Chinese foreign students enrolled on MoD courses since 2010 were Foreign Intelligence Services personnel.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that Defence establishments, assets and personnel are attractive targets for foreign intelligence services and takes the threat they pose extremely seriously. This is reflected in the establishment of the Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit in December 2025 which seeks to cohere and strengthen the UK’s counter-intelligence capabilities. All MOD courses are delivered in line with Government security classification standards and nationality requirements to ensure the appropriate protective measures are in place. It is not Government policy to comment on specific intelligence matters.