Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Khan of Burnley on 11 April (HL6314), whether the final conclusions of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group will be published; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of discrimination and hate crime are completely unacceptable, and the Government is committed to tackling this wherever it manifests. Our efforts to build a country of tolerance and inclusion apply to people of all faiths and none.
The most recent police-recorded hate crime statistics showed that almost 2 in 5 religious hate crimes target Muslims, which is why we have established a working group to provide rapid advice to the Government. Working group members have been selected for their technical expertise, experience and ability to work to deliver the group’s objectives. The group will consult with a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure that the voices of all relevant stakeholders are heard and considered.
The proposed definition will advise the Government and other bodies on the appropriate language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim. It must also be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression. The initial advice the working group produces will be private however once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group to take into consideration the views of adherents of religions other than Islam; and if not, why not
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the planned definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia will allow for ridicule or abuse of Islamic beliefs and practices.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group to meet adherents of religions other than Islam.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what grounds they determined that the work of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group should not be made public.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will invite the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group in formulating its definition to protect freedom of expression in similar terms to the saving provision in section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986, so that the definition does not, for example, restrict criticism of Islam or prevent individuals from urging Muslims to cease practising Islam.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to formulate official definitions of hatred or abuse against adherents of any religion other than Islam.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.
In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a body to define Islamophobia; and what steps they are taking to ensure that freedom of speech is protected to allow the criticism of religions.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has established a new working group to provide a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. The group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory, and we are clear that it must be compatible with British citizens’ unchanging right to exercise freedom of speech and expression - which includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions and/or the beliefs and practices of adherents. This work will support these important freedoms, ensuring that they are preserved.
With levels of Islamophobia at a record high, this work will improve understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities and support wider and ongoing government-led efforts to root out hatred in all its forms.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent publication of the 2021 Census, whether they have made any forecast of when they estimate that the local authority population of Birmingham will be majority Muslim.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
His Majesty's Government does not produce religion-based population projections / forecasts.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce legislation to require (1) property owners, (2) developers, and (3) building firms, to pay compensation to neighbours affected by (a) noise, (b) vibrations, (c) dust, (d) lost or diminished letting income, (e) over-run of time to complete projects, and (f) diminished property values, while building works are in prospect or progress.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
This Government supports construction activity, which is crucial to delivering much needed housing as well as infrastructure and other development necessary to sustain and grow our communities. This is why we have taken steps for a temporary period during the Covid pandemic to encourage planning authorities to take a flexible approach to enforcement of breaches of conditioned construction working hours. However, we recognise the disruption that noise, vibration and dust can have on neighbours which is why these changes do not alter authorities' legal obligations under the existing statutory environmental health framework. I can confirm that the Government has no intention of introducing compensation schemes in respect of building activity.