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.

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.

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, how many reports were made to the online hate crime reporting portal in each year for which figures are available; and how many investigations, prosecutions and convictions have followed.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on police recorded hate crime. However, the Government does not currently hold the requested data on the number of reports made through True Vision, nor on the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions arising from these reports.

True Vision is the online reporting portal used by police forces in England and Wales and is funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, which student groups, organisations and bodies will co-design the Cohesion Charter; and on what basis will they be selected for this purpose.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Cohesion Charter will be co‑designed with students in collaboration with a partnership of the department, the University of Salford and the National Union of Students.

The Charter will set out the core principles that matter to students in building cohesive and sustainable communities. These principles will inform student behaviour, the review of institutional policies and civic participation.

An advisory group will be established to support delivery, oversee timelines and facilitate collaboration across the higher education sector at a national level.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, which authorities, individuals, groups, organisations, businesses or bodies they plan to consult as part of the programme of engagement with a diverse range of communities across the country to further understand the important connection between public service delivery, inequality and social cohesion.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government wants the widest range of lived experiences to inform its work on public service reform. The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving public services for everyone. That is why the Race Equality Unit’s engagement will be representative of the challenges and opportunities of different groups when accessing public services.