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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support community cohesion and interfaith in (i) the constituency of Broxtowe, (ii) Nottingham, (iii) the East Midlands, (iv) and England as a whole.

MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit works to support and promote cohesion and interfaith relations across England, through working closely with local authorities, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments.

Several places in the East Midlands have received continued support after the summer disorder of 2024. Specific projects to help develop cohesive communities have been supported, including the ‘Vista Collective’ in Derby - bringing together diverse community groups for dialogue and engagement and empowering residents to tackle issues affecting community cohesion. In Leicester three projects have been funded aimed at connecting and integrating separate communities, whilst in Nottingham the ‘More In Common’ partnership has been developed. The partnership has; awarded grants to local projects, provided community cohesion outreach vehicle for partnership use, arranged conversations with the public (over hate crime, flags, and wider issues of tension), distributed leaflets on hate crime, myth busting and the Prevent process (in a variety of languages) and arranged hate crime workshops, for staff and partners, delivered by Nottinghamshire Police.

Additionally, areas have been awarded funding under the recently announced Pride in Place Programme. £20 million, over a ten-year period, will be spent on projects within each of the following areas; Clifton, Worksop, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, North East Derbyshire (Grassmoor & Holmewood), Derby (Chaddesden West), and Leicester (Eyres Monsell, Braunstone Park West, Thurnby Lodge). This long-term preventative investment will help sustain local cohesion capability.

Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

At a national level, the government supports strong interfaith relations which are vital for cohesive communities. The Government funded Inter Faith Week 2025 as an important national platform for fostering positive interfaith relations. Alongside this, MHCLG funds grassroots programmes across England such as Near Neighbours and Schools Linking which promote dialogue and understanding across different faiths and beliefs.