Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help protect freedom of faith in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Religious education (RE) is a compulsory part of the basic curriculum in state schools. The government firmly believes in the importance of RE in helping to foster understanding amongst different faith and culture.
All state-funded schools must also provide a daily act of collective worship. It is for schools to tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils.
Faith schools, which remain an important element of our education system, have greater freedom to maintain their religious ethos. This could include teaching religious education and providing collective worship in accordance with the tenets and practices of their faith.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or any part of religious education or collective worship.
All schools have specific duties to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. Furthermore, schools are required to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Ofsted inspects how schools and colleges develop their pupils' understanding of these values.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church has taken to encourage more people under 40 to attend Sunday services in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
Nationally, the Church of England has committed to three priorities: to develop and grow more disciples, to develop a mixed ecology of churches and to grow a younger and more diverse congregation. More information about the national work is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-and-strategy
A key priority for the Diocese of Lichfield in its Diocesan Strategic Framework is to reduce the age profile of congregation members. Various work strands are being developed to achieve this, including building on already strong relationships between churches and schools. Across some parishes good work is taking place ecumenically on initiatives that support younger people in their explorations of faith and build their confidence within the church.
In 2024, the Diocese of Lichfield was awarded £837,608 grant funding from the National Church Institutions Strategic Mission and Ministry Board (SMMIB). The Diocese has recently been awarded further SMMIB funding for new work beyond 2025, specifically operating in Stoke to establish new worshipping communities focused on those aged under 40
For further information do please contact the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Michael Ipgrave, or the Archdeacon of Stoke, the Venerable Megan Smith. Contact details are available on the Diocese of Lichfield website.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on faith communities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department has published its Equalities Impact Assessment for all measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, setting out impacts across protected characteristics including religion or belief. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they issue guidance to schools and colleges regarding their use of social media channels, particularly the use of these to mark religious occasions and festivals.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has not issued specific guidance for schools on the use of social media channels, although the department’s ‘Political impartiality in schools’ guidance makes the point that school-branded social media channels should not be partisan and should present a balanced presentation of political issues. However, this guidance is clear that the principles or views in line with the tenets of a particular faith are not considered to be political, so are not covered by statutory requirements on political impartiality. The full guidance is attached and can also be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle hate crimes based on religion in (a) England, (b) London and (c) Ilford South constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, and the Government continues to work closely with community partners to tackle it. The Government has worked with the police to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. The Government also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub, which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.
In 2024/25, up to £50.9 million is available to protect faith communities. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million for the places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths.
The Government established a new working group to provide government with a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims.
Since his appointment, the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement has made it a priority to meet with people of all major faiths and beliefs across our diverse country.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she last met with families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire; and whether she consulted those groups before making a decision on the future of the tower.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Learning the lessons from the Grenfell tragedy and ensuring lasting change are key priorities for the government. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Building Safety Minister have hugely valued hearing directly from bereaved families, survivors and residents in the immediate community and would like to thank them for this.
The Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for Grenfell Tower and for making a decision about its future.
This is a deeply personal matter for the people affected and she is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this process.
In November last year, the Deputy Prime Minister explained she would listen to the views of the community, and consider expert information, before making a decision on the future of the Tower in February. She offered bereaved and survivors the opportunity to meet in-person, or online, at different times and individually when families felt more comfortable with this. She has also spent time with representative groups, residents’ associations, schools and faith leaders. She is grateful to everyone who shared their view and especially to the bereaved and survivors.
Last December, the department published an update of information that would inform her decision to make it available to the community: The future of Grenfell Tower: advice that will inform a decision. Information about how she has taken it into account in her decision is here: Update on the future of Grenfell Tower - GOV.UK
Over the last week, the Deputy Prime Minister has met bereaved families and survivors, and residents in the immediate community, to explain her decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down. Her priority has been to ensure the community hear this first.
This government remains committed to responding to the needs of the community and will ensure bereaved families, survivors and residents continue to have opportunities to speak with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Building Safety Minister on issues that matter to them most.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with survivors and families of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire on the future of the tower.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Learning the lessons from the Grenfell tragedy and ensuring lasting change are key priorities for the government. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Building Safety Minister have hugely valued hearing directly from bereaved families, survivors and residents in the immediate community and would like to thank them for this.
The Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for Grenfell Tower and for making a decision about its future.
This is a deeply personal matter for the people affected and she is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this process.
In November last year, the Deputy Prime Minister explained she would listen to the views of the community, and consider expert information, before making a decision on the future of the Tower in February. She offered bereaved and survivors the opportunity to meet in-person, or online, at different times and individually when families felt more comfortable with this. She has also spent time with representative groups, residents’ associations, schools and faith leaders. She is grateful to everyone who shared their view and especially to the bereaved and survivors.
Last December, the department published an update of information that would inform her decision to make it available to the community: The future of Grenfell Tower: advice that will inform a decision. Information about how she has taken it into account in her decision is here: Update on the future of Grenfell Tower - GOV.UK
Over the last week, the Deputy Prime Minister has met bereaved families and survivors, and residents in the immediate community, to explain her decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down. Her priority has been to ensure the community hear this first.
This government remains committed to responding to the needs of the community and will ensure bereaved families, survivors and residents continue to have opportunities to speak with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Building Safety Minister on issues that matter to them most.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to the (a) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, (b) Jewish Community Protective Security Grant and (c) the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme in 2025.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2025/26, up to £50.9 million is available to protect faith communities. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million for the places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to tackle Islamophobia.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Islamophobia is completely abhorrent and has no place in our society. Rooting out this appalling form of hatred is a priority for this Government, and we have already taken a number of steps to achieve this.
The Government works closely with the police and community partners monitor and combat hate crime. This year, MHCLG has made over £1 million available to monitor incidents of Islamophobia and provide support to victims. We also fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report.
In response to public disorder in August which targeted Muslims and mosques, the Government introduced a rapid protective security response process for places of worship. We have provided security to more than 700 additional places of worship during this period. Protective security continues to be a priority, with up to £29.4 million per year being made available for protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools from 2024/25 to 2027/28.
We are finalising our renewed, more strategic approach to tackling Islamophobia, working in partnership with communities, and will provide further updates shortly.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend the 50% faith-based admissions cap to all new schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
I refer the hon. Member for South Leicestershire to the answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23775.