Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support British Muslim communities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises the importance of supporting faith and belief groups.
The Secretary of State and the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement work closely together to demonstrate support for Muslim communities nationwide, connecting with women, young people, and community leaders through extensive outreach efforts. This has included engagement with numerous Muslim leaders in the aftermath of the Southport incident and subsequent riots and attending numerous Iftars during Ramadan to emphasise the important contributions that Muslim communities make to our society.
The Secretary of State is also committed to tackling all forms of hate crime. She has recently committed to the new working group on an anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition which will advise government on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have in place to ensure that the beliefs of different faiths are respected.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our country is strengthened by individuals of different faiths and beliefs, and the valuable contribution they make to our communities. I regularly meet leaders and representatives of major faiths and beliefs, and in the first six months in my role, I am proud to have engaged with all faith groups in the UK. The insights of faith and belief groups play an important role in shaping policies that promote inclusivity, understanding, and respect across our society.
Departmental officials also hold strong relationships with many faith and belief representatives, as interfaith practitioners.
This government also recognises and respects the importance of the various festivals commemorated by our different faiths. These are marked through attendance at events and receptions, and on the department’s social media channels.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20827 on Religious Freedom, what steps the Government is taking to protect freedom of speech in relation to the expression of lawful statements which may be critical of organised religion.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This is a tolerant multi-faith country in which all faiths contribute towards creating a richer society. There are no blasphemy laws in this country and there are no plans to introduce blasphemy laws. This Government will always recognise British citizens’ unchanging right to freedom of speech and expression.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to establish a taskforce aimed at tackling discrimination against Christians and other religious groups in the UK, similar to the taskforce created for that purpose by the government of the USA.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians, and the government continues to work closely with community partners to tackle it. Churches and Christian charities occupy a valuable position in society through their access to active citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups. Government and police routinely assess potential threats to ensure that protective measures are in place to protect Christian communities and their places of worship. The government has been exploring a more integrated and cohesive approach to bridging divisions and challenging hatred. We remain committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate discrimination against Christians in any form.
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
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: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support Nigeria to tackle (a) marginalisation of minority faith communities, (b) criminalisation of blasphemy and (c) other systemic violations of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to protect freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential for a free and open society. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, is an important part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. In addition, the UK government funds the provision of legal and judicial expertise for those countries wishing to make legislative changes to protect FoRB, including addressing blasphemy laws. In Nigeria, ongoing security challenges, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence, also impinge on the rights of FoRB. We work closely with the Nigerian security forces on tackling violent extremism, while the UK provides support to locally-led solutions to tackle the complex root causes of intercommunal violence.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department provides to organisations working to protect the (a) rights and (b) safety of the Ahmadi Muslim community in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised Ahmadi rights when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November in Pakistan and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. The British High Commission continues to raise the issue of safety for the Ahmadi community at the highest levels, including the need to respond swiftly to incidents of violence. UK officials routinely speak with civil society groups in Pakistan and the UK to better understand the issues affecting the Ahmadi community and inform our engagements with the Pakistani authorities. UK programming also brings together influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives to promote interfaith harmony.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many instances of religiously aggravated criminal damage were reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are absolutely clear that all forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians, and we committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion. Churches and Christian charities occupy a valuable position in society through their access to active citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups. Government and police routinely assess potential threats to ensure that protective measures are in place to protect Christian communities and their places of worship against terrorism and hate crime. Government however does not hold detailed hate crime data broken down per constituency.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with relevant organisations to help tackle anti-Christian religiously-aggravated criminal damage.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are absolutely clear that all forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians, and we committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion. Churches and Christian charities occupy a valuable position in society through their access to active citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups. Government and police routinely assess potential threats to ensure that protective measures are in place to protect Christian communities and their places of worship against terrorism and hate crime. Government however does not hold detailed hate crime data broken down per constituency.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many anti-Christian hate crimes were reported in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are absolutely clear that all forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians, and we committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion. Churches and Christian charities occupy a valuable position in society through their access to active citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups. Government and police routinely assess potential threats to ensure that protective measures are in place to protect Christian communities and their places of worship against terrorism and hate crime. Government however does not hold detailed hate crime data broken down per constituency.