Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the CONTEST strategy and the Prevent programme earn the confidence and cooperation of immigrant communities and of relevant professionals in health, education and other disciplines called upon to implement them.

The aim of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and securely. Prevent is a key part of CONTEST. It is delivered in partnership with communities. In 2015/16 we delivered 142 community- based projects reaching over 42, 000 participants.

We regularly consult with partners in education and health to ensure that the prevent duty is presented as one of the many duties public bodies have to safeguard children and/or vulnerable people from exploitation.

The Prevent strategy is just one of a number of programmes designed to safeguard people from all forms of exploitation – sexual, criminal or terrorist.