Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to support (a) religious freedom and the (b) protection of minority faith groups.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right. Everyone in Britain has the right to feel safe and at ease where they live. The Government is committed to protecting individuals’ right to practise their religion freely and will not tolerate religious hatred in any form. Those who incite religious hatred will face the full force of the law.
Faith Groups in England and Wales that are particularly vulnerable to religiously or racially motivated hate crime are eligible for funded protective security measures through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. This scheme offers physical security enhancements, such as CCTV, intruder alarms, and secure perimeter fencing.
An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to advise the Government on effective strategies to tackle hate against Jewish communities. Additionally, the government continues to work with the independent advisor Lord Mann in combating antisemitism through meaningful engagement with diverse communities.
The Government has also established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred. The working group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken with community organisations to help tackle (a) anti-Semitism and (b) anti-Muslim hatred.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In response to the concerning rise in both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, the Government is absolutely committed to rooting out these forms of hatred. We are working across government on security, education and working alongside local government.
An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to advise the Government on effective strategies to tackle hate against Jewish communities and will explore how the Government should engage with Jewish communities in relation to international, national, and local events that impact British Jews. In addition, the government continues to work with the independent advisor Lord Mann in combating antisemitism through meaningful engagement with diverse communities.
Regarding tackling anti-Muslim hatred, the Government established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia. The working group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.
The government also funds the British Muslim Trust to deliver a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and provide support to victims, and 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 to the police.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide frontline police officers with training to (a) recognise and (b) address antisemitism.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is determined to tackle all forms of hate crime, including antisemitic hate crime.
The College of Policing is responsible for setting the national training standards and operational guidance (known as authorised professional practice) in England and Wales that guide officers and staff in responding to hate crime, promoting a consistent and victim-sensitive approach across forces.
Improving investigative standards, including in relation to hate crime, is a national priority. The College is supporting this work through targeted interventions aimed at increasing knowledge, consistency, improving outcomes, and strengthening public confidence in policing. This includes making specific reference to antisemitism (in line with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition) within hate crime guidance to reflect both religious and racial hostility; incorporating hate crime training within initial entry route into policing learning; and improving supervisory learning to ensure hate crime is prioritised and that the most vulnerable in our communities are safeguarded.
Whilst the police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance, we expect the police to fully investigate these appalling offences and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators face the full force of the law and are brought to justice.
The College of Policing has also launched the Neighbourhood Policing Programme – Career Pathway training, as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This programme has a specific focus on engaging with and supporting communities to build trust and confidence.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has (a) commissioned or (b) procured third-party providers to (i) assess, (ii) index or (iii) identify (A) extremism and (B) disinformation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all its forms.
The Government is also alarmed by the unprecedented rate at which threats to information integrity are growing.
My department has not specifically commissioned or procured third party-providers on the matter in question.
We fund the National Community Tensions Team which send the department regular reports on hate crime and community tensions. Additionally, the Government’s Independent Antisemitism Adviser, Lord Mann sent the department reports on hate crime and community tensions.
DSIT and MHCLG have supported the Local Government Association to deliver training aimed at supporting frontline local authority practitioners to respond to acute information incidents.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on (a) promoting the safety of ethnic minority groups, (b) raising awareness of antisemitism and (c) protecting Jews in Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
Public safety is devolved to the Scottish Government. The Scotland Office regularly engages with Police Scotland on the safety of all our communities. The Government is clear that there is no place or justification for antisemitism.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 60th anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965; and what steps they will take to reassure the British Jewish community that the police will take seriously racially-motivated crimes in all forms.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has a long and proud history of tackling race discrimination, with the first Race Relations Act 1965 introduced 60 years ago. The King's Speech announced our intention to build on this legacy through the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which we intend to publish in draft this session.
Making sure that British Jews are not only safe, but also feel safe, remains one of our top priorities. This year, the Government has allocated £18 million to the Community Security Trust through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites.
The Government works closely with the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism along with Jewish community voices on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism. We also recently established an Antisemitism Working Group to provide advice on antisemitism and how government should engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews. We are committed to tackling antisemitism and support the police in taking robust action against all forms of hate crime, wherever these crimes occur and whoever is responsible.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 reduce cases of antisemitism.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society. Tackling antisemitism in all its forms is a top priority for this Government. We are working closely with HMG’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism and advocate for British Jewish communities.
The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant until 2027/28.
An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to provide advice to the government on antisemitism. It is looking at how the UK Government should engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews, and how antisemitism can be effectively tackled.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the survey of Jewish teachers conducted by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers published on 1 July, what steps they are taking to combat antisemitism in schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
This government will not tolerate antisemitism in our educational institutions. We are investing £7 million to tackle antisemitism in education and are committed to ensuring all teachers and pupils are safe and supported inside and outside of the classroom.
This funding will support scholarship programmes for education staff on building confidence in identifying and tackling antisemitism. A new Innovation Fund will also invite creative approaches to working with children and young people on the issue of antisemitism.
The department’s Educate Against Hate website continues to provide a range of resources to support education staff, governors, and parents in promoting tolerance and helping young people understand antisemitism and its historical context, in order to reduce children’s susceptibility to hateful narratives.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the relationship between the UK and Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government has taken action in response to the egregious activity of the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank. The actions of this Israeli government are isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world and in response we have suspended negotiations with the Israeli government on a new free trade agreement. We will also review cooperation under the 2030 Bilateral Roadmap.
The decision made by the Israeli Government on 8 August to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.
Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.
Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis. As part of this, on 29 July, the Prime Minister announced the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September before the United Nations General Assembly; unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long-term sustainable peace. These actions do not undermine our support for the Israeli people, our commitment to their security, and standing with them against the evil of antisemitism.
This financial year we have allocated £101 million for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, covering our significant humanitarian response in Gaza and the West Bank, our support for Palestinian economic development, reform of the Palestinian Authority, and supporting Palestinian refugees in the region.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with police forces on antisemitism at universities.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to tackling antisemitic hate crimes and supports the police in taking robust action, wherever those crimes occur and whoever is responsible.