Small Religious Organisations: Safeguarding

Opened the debate

Sam Carling raised concerns about the Government's proposal to introduce mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, which he argued has been significantly watered down from IICSA's recommendations. He highlighted the need for proper sanctions for non-compliance, inclusion of reasonable suspicion, and wider coverage to include religious leaders with unsupervised contact with children. He also discussed the issue of shunning in religious organisations, tax exemptions, and the need for a review of charity law. Additionally, he touched upon safeguarding and coercion in medical settings within religious organisations.

Government Response

The Minister thanked Sam Carling for securing the debate and acknowledged the Government's commitment to safeguarding and protecting children and adults from harm across all settings, including religious organisations. She highlighted the measures being taken through the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The Minister addressed specific points raised, including the support for the Government's mandatory reporting duty from key stakeholders and the Government's view on the threshold for the duty. She also mentioned the Charity Commission’s approach to regulation and plans to give it additional powers to tackle extremist abuse. The Minister confirmed that she would liaise with the Department of Health and Social Care on medical coercion issues.