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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will create an English language strategy within the Community Cohesion strategy.

The government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities.

For example, we have launched a competitive process to continue our support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas), providing intensive English language lessons and employment support for up to 4,000 individuals. This builds on the success of the STEP Ukraine pilot which has supported over 13,000 Ukrainians, with an impressive 84% successfully completing the programme and 73% achieving a 100% in their English language test.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is leading cross-government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address deep-seated issues.