Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking in response to the implementation of anti-conversion laws in India.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to track these issues and to promote religious freedom and tolerance. Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors the human rights situation closely. We also engage with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Indian authorities regarding the reports of three Baptist pastors being shot dead in the Indian state of Manipur on Wednesday, May 13, while traveling home from a church peace conference.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors human rights closely, including issues affecting ethnic and religious communities in Manipur, where there has been significant conflict since 2023. Our diplomatic network in India engages with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities. We have a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and are able to discuss a wide range of issues.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, how they plan to gauge current levels of faith and belief literacy in government; how they plan to identify ways to upskill and develop an approach that improves the quality and inclusivity of policy making; and which authorities, individuals, groups, organisations, businesses or bodies will be consulted on the issue.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For millions of people in this country, their faith and belief identity is a crucial part of their lives, and our nation is enriched by our diverse tapestry of faiths and beliefs. The Government is committed to building a Britain where all communities feel safe, and where the contributions of people of many faiths and beliefs are warmly welcomed and richly valued. Supporting faith and belief literacy in government and wider society is crucial to achieving these objectives.
Protecting What Matters sets out our commitment to faith and belief literacy, both within government and across society as a whole. This work is still in its early stages and my officials will be conducting engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Protecting What Matters (CP 1540), published on 9 March, what plans they have to strengthen faith and belief literacy across society as a whole; and which authorities, individuals, groups, organisations, businesses or bodies will be consulted on this issue.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For millions of people in this country, their faith and belief identity is a crucial part of their lives, and our nation is enriched by our diverse tapestry of faiths and beliefs. The Government is committed to building a Britain where all communities feel safe, and where the contributions of people of many faiths and beliefs are warmly welcomed and richly valued. Supporting faith and belief literacy in government and wider society is crucial to achieving these objectives.
Protecting What Matters sets out our commitment to faith and belief literacy, both within government and across society as a whole. This work is still in its early stages and my officials will be conducting engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international counterparts on the case of Father Pereira; and what representations she has made to her Indian counterpart on freedom of religion or belief.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors the human rights situation in India closely, including issues affecting Christian communities. We also engage with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of whether the stakeholder engagement undertaken during the previous Administration’s Independent Review of Prevent attached equal weight to views expressed by (a) faith groups and (b) non-religious belief organisations.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence
The Independent Review of Prevent was undertaken independently of the Home Office. When conducting the review, Sir William Shawcross independently and autonomously gathered feedback from a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and Prevent partners. This includes both faith-based and non-religious organisations. Any groups who were consulted were made aware of the Privacy Notice associated with the review. This makes clear that any evidence was collected on a confidential and, where requested, anonymous basis. All feedback was recorded with the aim of understanding how well Prevent operates, to help the government develop the strategy and policies to help safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism. Decisions on how the evidence was assessed and weighted were a matter for the Independent Reviewer. The recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent can be found in section eight of the Review, and the Government’s acknowledgement is detailed in the 2023 response. The Government’s current Prevent guidance is informed by these recommendations, rather than by direct use of any individual stakeholder feedback. |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) relevance and (b) accuracy of stakeholder feedback from faith groups gathered during the previous Administration’s Independent Review of Prevent.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence
The Independent Review of Prevent was undertaken independently of the Home Office. When conducting the review, Sir William Shawcross independently and autonomously gathered feedback from a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and Prevent partners. This includes both faith-based and non-religious organisations. Any groups who were consulted were made aware of the Privacy Notice associated with the review. This makes clear that any evidence was collected on a confidential and, where requested, anonymous basis. All feedback was recorded with the aim of understanding how well Prevent operates, to help the government develop the strategy and policies to help safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism. Decisions on how the evidence was assessed and weighted were a matter for the Independent Reviewer. The recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent can be found in section eight of the Review, and the Government’s acknowledgement is detailed in the 2023 response. The Government’s current Prevent guidance is informed by these recommendations, rather than by direct use of any individual stakeholder feedback. |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses stakeholder feedback from faith groups gathered during the previous Administration’s Independent Review of Prevent in developing current Prevent policy and guidance.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence
The Independent Review of Prevent was undertaken independently of the Home Office. When conducting the review, Sir William Shawcross independently and autonomously gathered feedback from a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and Prevent partners. This includes both faith-based and non-religious organisations. Any groups who were consulted were made aware of the Privacy Notice associated with the review. This makes clear that any evidence was collected on a confidential and, where requested, anonymous basis. All feedback was recorded with the aim of understanding how well Prevent operates, to help the government develop the strategy and policies to help safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism. Decisions on how the evidence was assessed and weighted were a matter for the Independent Reviewer. The recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent can be found in section eight of the Review, and the Government’s acknowledgement is detailed in the 2023 response. The Government’s current Prevent guidance is informed by these recommendations, rather than by direct use of any individual stakeholder feedback. |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a summary of the feedback provided by faith groups during the previous administration’s Independent Review of Prevent.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence
The Independent Review of Prevent was undertaken independently of the Home Office. When conducting the review, Sir William Shawcross independently and autonomously gathered feedback from a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and Prevent partners. This includes both faith-based and non-religious organisations. Any groups who were consulted were made aware of the Privacy Notice associated with the review. This makes clear that any evidence was collected on a confidential and, where requested, anonymous basis. All feedback was recorded with the aim of understanding how well Prevent operates, to help the government develop the strategy and policies to help safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism. Decisions on how the evidence was assessed and weighted were a matter for the Independent Reviewer. The recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent can be found in section eight of the Review, and the Government’s acknowledgement is detailed in the 2023 response. The Government’s current Prevent guidance is informed by these recommendations, rather than by direct use of any individual stakeholder feedback. |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which (a) faith groups, (b) religious organisations and (c) non-religious belief organisations were consulted in the previous Administration’s Independent Review of Prevent.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Secretary of State for Defence
The Independent Review of Prevent was undertaken independently of the Home Office. When conducting the review, Sir William Shawcross independently and autonomously gathered feedback from a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and Prevent partners. This includes both faith-based and non-religious organisations. Any groups who were consulted were made aware of the Privacy Notice associated with the review. This makes clear that any evidence was collected on a confidential and, where requested, anonymous basis. All feedback was recorded with the aim of understanding how well Prevent operates, to help the government develop the strategy and policies to help safeguard people from being drawn into terrorism. Decisions on how the evidence was assessed and weighted were a matter for the Independent Reviewer. The recommendations made by the Independent Review of Prevent can be found in section eight of the Review, and the Government’s acknowledgement is detailed in the 2023 response. The Government’s current Prevent guidance is informed by these recommendations, rather than by direct use of any individual stakeholder feedback. |