Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises the impact that lengthy allegations investigations can have on foster carers and the children they care for. Through the proposed new Fostering Quality Standards, currently out for consultation, we are seeking to improve the allegations process to make it more proportionate and timely, while maintaining robust safeguards for children. The consultation will inform next steps on improving the allegations process for all foster carers, including those approved by independent fostering agencies.

We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements by 2029. As part of this programme, our enhanced regional hub model is improving regional coordination and visibility of fostering capacity across local authority and non-profit independent fostering agency provision. This will help local authorities make better use of all available fostering provision when identifying the most appropriate placement for a child, while increasing fostering capacity across the sector so children can be matched with homes that best meet their needs.

The level of shop theft remains unacceptable. But our action to restore neighbourhood policing is making a difference – including delivering more than 3,100 additional police officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood roles since March 2025, two months ahead of schedule. There are signs the tide is turning, with a small fall in shop theft offences by 1% in the year ending December 2025 compared with the previous year. Shop theft charges rose 17% in just one year, showing police are taking this seriously.

We are committed to introducing, as soon as possible, new legislation through the Crime and Policing Act, to create a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker and to remove the £200 threshold for shop theft, ensuring that all offences are treated seriously and that retail staff are better protected.

We are equipping the police to fight the organised crime gangs that are often responsible for driving shop theft across the country. Our £5m investment into OPAL (a specialist policing unit) will supercharge intelligence-led policing to identify offenders, disrupt the tactics used to target shops, and bring more criminals to justice.

We are driving close partnership between the police and retail sector through the Retail Crime Forum. This includes tackling the most prolific retail offenders - where a few individuals can drive a large proportion of the local crime problem. We are working across Government, with police forces and the retail sector to develop a pilot model to identify, target and intervene with those individuals causing unacceptable harm in our communities.

The Government is committed to ensuring consumers, especially those in vulnerable circumstances, are treated fairly and protected from misleading green claims. Energy suppliers must comply with consumer protection law and Ofgem’s licence conditions, including rules on marketing and Standards of Conduct, which require clear, accurate and not misleading information.

Ofgem also protects vulnerable customers through specific safeguards and enforcement action where standards are not met. More broadly, the Competition and Market Authority’s Green Claims Code makes clear that environmental claims must be truthful, clear and substantiated. Through the Ofgem Review, we are strengthening the regulator so it can act as a stronger consumer champion.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 makes clear that online marketplaces must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and local Trading Standards teams can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law by online marketplaces. The Department regularly engages with the CMA and Trading Standards on issues affecting consumers, including the adequacy of consumer protection in online marketplaces.

The Department is also consulting on reforming the product safety framework, including proposals for online marketplaces to take steps to ensure consumer safety.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The initial teacher training (ITT) Criteria set out requirements for ITT courses leading to qualified teacher status. Course design must encompass all aspects of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework, including safeguarding duties; and accredited providers are required to ensure trainee teachers are aware of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KSCIE), guidance that schools and colleges must have regard to. KCSIE is clear that every school must have a designated safeguarding lead who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. In line with KCSIE, all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction. Additionally, all staff should receive regular safeguarding and child protection updates, including online safety (e.g., via email, e-bulletins, staff meetings) as required, and at least annually, to continue to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

The issues raised in the Hon Member's questions are all key priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and our work in these areas cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates about that work by following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or continuing to attend sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Defra is unable to confirm the position at a UK level as fisheries protection is a devolved matter. The Marine Management Organisation is responsible for regulating and enforcing fisheries activity in English waters. Its two dedicated Offshore Patrol Vessels maintain a near-continuous presence at sea to monitor compliance and safeguard sustainable fishing, with each vessel averaging over 350 days at sea per year since 2022.

Information on at sea activity undertaken by the Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish authorities in the waters for which they are responsible can be obtained directly from the respective devolved governments.

Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms, including online, is a top priority for this government.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must proactively tackle illegal content, much of which disproportionately affects women and girls, including harassment, stalking and intimate image abuse. Services are also required to protect children from illegal and harmful content, including abusive and hateful misogyny and pornography.

On 25 November 2025, Ofcom published industry guidance on making platforms safer for women and girls. We expect companies to introduce these recommended measures without delay.

The government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030. The consultation closed in May this year and DESNZ are currently reviewing responses ahead of publishing a response.

The government is committed to protecting and improving the rights of tenants. The Renters’ Rights Bill will put in place new regulations to protect tenants. This includes providing stronger protections to ensure that tenants are able to appeal excessive above-market rents, abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’, and moving to a simpler tenancy structure where all assured tenancies ae periodic. These measures provide more security for tenants and enable them to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction.

The UK Government champions, and remains strongly committed to, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The UK continues to hold countries to account on their FoRB commitments and obligations, including South East Asian nations, through our engagement with the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and at the UN Human Rights Council. This work is mutually reinforcing of our wider human rights efforts, underpinning our belief that human rights are universal.

Equalities Ministers have regular discussions with their colleagues across Government about tackling online harassment as part of the Government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. These include the Safer Streets Mission Board and Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial meetings.

Any form of elder abuse or neglect is unacceptable. Whilst the Government has no immediate plans to conduct a specific review of the range of legal protections already in place around the abuse and neglect of older people, it continues to engage with partners about this serious issue.

In the meantime, there are already robust safeguards in place. Local authorities have a statutory duty to investigate safeguarding concerns under the Care Act 2014. The statutory guidance of the Care Act 2014 makes it clear that local authorities must ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective and of high quality. Since April 2023, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have had a duty to assess local authorities’ delivery of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2024.

The first formal assessment of local authorities began in December 2023, shortly after the CQC concluded its pilot assessments in November. The CQC has published its first three local authority ratings and reports and is rolling out assessments to all 153 local authorities in England.

The Government introduced the Employment Rights Bill in the House on 10 October 2024.

The Bill will make basic protection against unfair dismissal a day one right for all employees, ending the current arbitrary system that leaves employees waiting up to two years to access this right.

DBT Ministers have engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive since assuming office, including productive meetings and correspondence at SoS and Minister of State level as well as detailed and ongoing official level dialogue regarding the interests of Northern Ireland Executive and businesses in Northern Ireland in the UK Government growth agenda.

I have just been informed that my ministerial colleague had a very positive visit to the hon. Gentleman’s constituency—I am sure he always offers a good time in Northern Ireland. I will ask if there have been any discussions with his local authority on that basis.

The UK is supporting international efforts to secure a permanent cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians, including any remaining British nationals. However, the British Embassy in Khartoum is temporarily closed and there are no British consular staff in Sudan. Our ability to provide consular assistance is therefore severely limited. We advise all British nationals to monitor the Sudan Travel Advice which includes details of our 24/7 consular assistance helpline. We continue to work alongside our international counterparts from Africa, Quad (KSA, UAE, UK, US) and European countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to bring an end to the ongoing violence taking place across Sudan, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of all in Sudan.

The Online Safety Bill will ensure that companies protect children from online pornography, wherever it appears online. It will cover all online sites that offer pornography, including commercial pornography sites, social media platforms, video sharing platforms, forums and search engines. These companies will have to prevent children from accessing pornography, using measures such as age verification, or Ofcom will be able to bring enforcement action against them.

Through the International Criminal Court and the work we are doing on evidence collecting, we are working to make sure that the people committing those appalling crimes are held to account—not just in Ukraine, but more widely around the world. That is one of the key aims of the conference we are hosting in November. We are also increasing our budget for women and girls development aid, specifically to tackle sexual violence.

Pakistan has taken many significant steps to tackle abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The National Child Labour Survey, establishment of Pakistan's first Child Protection Institute, the setting of 18 as a minimum age for domestic employment in the Islamabad Capital Territory, and promulgation of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2019 for the speedy recovery of kidnapped children, are steps in the right direction. However, serious challenges remain. Child labour - common in the textile, agricultural and waste sectors - remains prevalent. The UK also remains concerned about cases of child rape, violence and forced marriage. In order to end these harmful practices, the FCDO-funded Aawaz II programme advocates for legislation on child marriage, and supports Pakistan in its efforts to reform child rights legislation, and to establish child protection referral and case management systems.

Since 2015, the UK has resettled over 25,000 refugees, around half of whom have been children.

The Government continues to welcome refugees through the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS).

The majority of child refugees are resettled with their family members, although some unaccompanied child refugees are resettled where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees judges it to be in the best interests of the child.

Local authorities and community sponsor groups provide support to resettled refugees on arrival, including safeguarding for child refugees. The Government provides a support package to local authorities to enable that support and the integration of all refugees resettled through our schemes.