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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds to work together on projects and programmes in local communities.

The government is committed to building more integrated communities and widening opportunity. We have spent over £60 million on integration projects since 2010/11, helping to create the conditions for people to live successfully alongside each other.

This includes funding for community – based tuition to help isolated adults to learn English and the Near Neighbours programme, supporting well over 1,000 small projects bringing people together across faith, social and ethnic boundaries.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made clear he will be studying Dame Louise’s findings closely. As part of those considerations, we will look to learn from our existing integration projects. In spring, we will come to the House with our plans for tackling the issues raised by Dame Louise, so that we can continue to build a country that works for everyone.