Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, how they plan to gauge current levels of faith and belief literacy in government; how they plan to identify ways to upskill and develop an approach that improves the quality and inclusivity of policy making; and which authorities, individuals, groups, organisations, businesses or bodies will be consulted on the issue.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For millions of people in this country, their faith and belief identity is a crucial part of their lives, and our nation is enriched by our diverse tapestry of faiths and beliefs. The Government is committed to building a Britain where all communities feel safe, and where the contributions of people of many faiths and beliefs are warmly welcomed and richly valued. Supporting faith and belief literacy in government and wider society is crucial to achieving these objectives.
Protecting What Matters sets out our commitment to faith and belief literacy, both within government and across society as a whole. This work is still in its early stages and my officials will be conducting engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, which representatives of the community and voluntary sector they plan to consult to help deliver a community-led approach to integration.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Insufficient focus on our shared responsibility to support integration has, in some parts of the country, led to the creation of social silos with people living largely separate, parallel lives from mainstream UK customs and culture.
A new approach to integration will consider both the broader immigration system and what level of immigration is tenable in maintaining a cohesive society and meeting the needs of existing communities. That is why this government has committed to developing a cross-government integration strategy to help existing and new migrants effectively integrate into their communities, find sustainable work, and make a positive contribution to their area.
This will be underpinned by strong collaboration with local government and the voluntary and community sector to deliver a community-led approach to integration. We will provide more details on engagement and timelines in due course.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, what plans they have to strengthen faith and belief literacy across society as a whole; and which authorities, individuals, groups, organisations, businesses or bodies will be consulted on this issue.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For millions of people in this country, their faith and belief identity is a crucial part of their lives, and our nation is enriched by our diverse tapestry of faiths and beliefs. The Government is committed to building a Britain where all communities feel safe, and where the contributions of people of many faiths and beliefs are warmly welcomed and richly valued. Supporting faith and belief literacy in government and wider society is crucial to achieving these objectives.
Protecting What Matters sets out our commitment to faith and belief literacy, both within government and across society as a whole. This work is still in its early stages and my officials will be conducting engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 September (HC2987), and further to the Written Statement by Baroness Swinburne on 14 March (HLWS336) , whether the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is continuing to fund and support the new counter-extremism centre of excellence.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley
This government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and we will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all its forms. The rapid review ordered by the Home Secretary will consider the current understanding of extremism, including Islamist and far-right extremism. Following the conclusion of the rapid review, we will be setting out our strategic approach, which will ensure that we have the strongest possible response.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 September (HC2987), and further to the Written Statement by Baroness Swinburne on 14 March (HLWS336), what steps they are taking to counter Islamist extremism and ideologies.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley
This government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and we will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all its forms. The rapid review ordered by the Home Secretary will consider the current understanding of extremism, including Islamist and far-right extremism. Following the conclusion of the rapid review, we will be setting out our strategic approach, which will ensure that we have the strongest possible response.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 5 September (HC2635), and further to the Written Statement by Baroness Swinburne on 14 March (HLWS336), whether they continue to maintain (1) the definition of extremism, and (2) the engagement principles, set out in that Statement; and what changes have been made to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (a) work in this area, and (b) funding of that work, since the general election.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley
This government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and we will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all its forms. The rapid review ordered by the Home Secretary will consider the current understanding of extremism, including Islamist and far-right extremism. Following the conclusion of the rapid review, we will be setting out our strategic approach, which will ensure that we have the strongest possible response.