Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of an Islamophobia definition on the ability to scrutinise religious ideology or practice.

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, and this Government is committed to tackling this wherever it manifests. The Government established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, including on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim. The Working Group have now submitted their advice to ministers for consideration.

The working group have engaged widely to ensure the advice given to the Government reflects the diverse perspectives and implications for different groups. To strengthen engagement, the Working Group launched a Call for Evidence on 20 July 2025. It was open to the public, and any individual or organisation, including Hindu community groups, were able to submit advice.

The Working Group operated according to its established terms of reference, which stated that any definition must be compatible with free speech and the right to criticise religions and religious practices. The Government will consider their advice in view of this.