Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to protect Jewish (a) pupils and (b) teachers from anti-Semitic abuse in schools.
Answered by Robin Walker
The government is clear that antisemitism, as with all forms of bullying and hatred, is abhorrent and has no place in our schools. All educational institutions should be inclusive and welcoming for students and staff from all backgrounds.
The department is aware of reported increases in such incidents, during an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in May 2021, which is why the former Secretary of State for Education wrote to schools to remind them of their responsibilities to deal with antisemitic incidents with due seriousness as well as their legal duties regarding political impartiality. The department has also published further guidance on political impartiality in schools to help them to ensure educational initiatives in schools are not politically biased or one-sided.
The government continues to take action to support schools to tackle all forms of bullying, including antisemitism. Our Preventing and Tackling Bullying guidance sets out that schools should develop a consistent approach to monitoring bullying incidents and evaluating the effectiveness of their approaches. It also directs schools to organisations who can provide support with tackling bullying related to race, religion and nationality, as well as sexual harassment and sexual bullying.
The department is also providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of groups who share protected characteristics, including race and faith and belief, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.
The government has also supported Holocaust education for many years and is fully committed to continuing this support. In recognition of its importance, the Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the national curriculum for history at key stage 3. Effective teaching about the Holocaust can support pupils to learn about the possible consequences of antisemitism and extremism, to understand how society can prevent the repeat of such a catastrophe. The department provides funding for several programmes to support school pupils’ and teachers’ understanding of the Holocaust.
The department has published guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010, which sets out the general provisions that apply to schools in their role as employers. The guidance is clear that all of the protected characteristics are covered by these provisions and that harassment or victimisation against potential or existing employees in relation to any of the protected characteristics is unlawful. We encourage schools to consult the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance and Codes of Practice for Employers for more detailed information on their obligations to their teachers and other staff.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Indian counterpart regarding reports of increased (a) violence and (b) persecution against Muslims in India.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, also regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India, and human rights including freedom of religion or belief forms part of that dialogue.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. For example, we project public support for diverse faith communities through hosting Iftars to celebrate the important contribution Indian Muslims and other communities have made to Indian society. At a virtual Iftar held in May 2021, the British High Commission were joined by over 100 Muslim and civil society contacts from across India. Moreover, for the second year, we are supporting a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for a cohort of emerging Indian leaders of diverse faith backgrounds, creating an opportunity to exchange UK-India experiences on leading modern, inclusive communities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in southern Kaduna, Nigeria, following the reported abductions of at least 26 people in three separate attacks between 14 and 15 February.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is concerned about rising insecurity across Nigeria and we condemn all incidents of intercommunal violence, including in the Middle Belt. This violence has a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. While religious identity is a factor in some incidents of intercommunal violence, we assess that the root causes of violence in the Middle Belt frequently relate to resource competition and criminality, as well as historical and ongoing inter-communal grievances. Officials at our High Commission in Abuja met officials from the Niger State Government on 23 February to discuss a range of security matters, including the attacks in Shiroro.
We regularly raise insecurity and human rights in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean raised rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors during her recent visit to Nigeria. She also met faith leaders, civil society and international organisations working in states affected by violence. Earlier this month, at the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean also held productive discussions with the Nigerian National Security Adviser on the complexity of Nigeria's security situation. At the dialogue, the UK and Nigeria agreed on areas of future cooperation to respond to shared threats, and on our support to Nigeria to tackle a range of security challenges. We continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Nigeria following the attack on the Galkogo community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on 21 February.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is concerned about rising insecurity across Nigeria and we condemn all incidents of intercommunal violence, including in the Middle Belt. This violence has a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. While religious identity is a factor in some incidents of intercommunal violence, we assess that the root causes of violence in the Middle Belt frequently relate to resource competition and criminality, as well as historical and ongoing inter-communal grievances. Officials at our High Commission in Abuja met officials from the Niger State Government on 23 February to discuss a range of security matters, including the attacks in Shiroro.
We regularly raise insecurity and human rights in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean raised rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors during her recent visit to Nigeria. She also met faith leaders, civil society and international organisations working in states affected by violence. Earlier this month, at the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean also held productive discussions with the Nigerian National Security Adviser on the complexity of Nigeria's security situation. At the dialogue, the UK and Nigeria agreed on areas of future cooperation to respond to shared threats, and on our support to Nigeria to tackle a range of security challenges. We continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 alleged reports of (a) violence and (b) discrimination targeted at Muslim women in India; and what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on this.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We look to India to uphold all freedoms and rights guaranteed in its strong constitution and by the international instruments to which India is a party. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and Human Rights, last discussed human rights in India during his visit in July 2021.
We engage with India on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to build capacity and promote human rights for all. The British High Commission (BHC) in Delhi regularly assesses human rights across India. Our officials in India work closely with Indian civil society and non-governmental organisations to promote gender equality and tackle gender-based violence. We have worked with the Madhya Pradesh Police's Gender Resource Centre to train a core group of officers on tackling crimes against women. We also regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. The BHC supports a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for emerging Indian faith leaders, including Muslims, to build expertise on leading modern inclusive communities and promote values of tolerance and multi-culturalism. The UK will host an international Ministerial conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2022 to energise collective efforts on this agenda. We also work with the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, G7 and other multilateral fora to promote our objectives.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes. We expect to issue invitations to partner governments, civil society representatives, including faith and non-faith leaders, and others interested in the international FoRB agenda over the next few weeks.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries have been invited to attend the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes. We expect to issue invitations to partner governments, civil society representatives, including faith and non-faith leaders, and others interested in the international FoRB agenda over the next few weeks.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her Department’s policy is for (a) describing and (b) communicating incidences of racism targeting expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
This Government remains committed to stamping out anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious prejudice. It is unacceptable for anyone to feel unsafe while practicing their religion and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Muslim hatred. The adoption of a definition of Islamophobia by the Government remains under consideration.
In 2020-21 DLUHC provided £1.8million in funding for the Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme which supported established community groups and civil society organisations to run short projects that champion the Government's commitment to building a diverse and tolerant society for all faiths and races.
The Government’s new Hate Crime Strategy will be published shortly and will build on the successes of the previous Action Plan in tackling all forms of hate crime.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 September (HL2695), what progress they have made on their engagement "with state governments, civil society, faith and community leaders and affected communities” in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Our High Commissioner and her team regularly visit states to engage with state governments, civil society, faith and community leaders and affected communities. Most recently, British High Commission officials visited Plateau state in October 2021, where they met with a range of interlocutors, including Christian and Muslim leaders to discuss intercommunal violence. These discussions highlighted the causes of the intercommunal violence are complex and relate frequently to criminality, competition for resources and failures of governance.
We regularly raise insecurity in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government. On 1 November, the Minister for Africa raised the issue of insecurity with Nigeria's Foreign Minister in a meeting at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. The Prime Minister also discussed this with President Buhari in the margins of the Global Education Summit in July. We continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to independently review the implementation of the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 8 July 2019.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
The Bishop of Truro's review provided recommendations for an enhanced Government response to support members of all faiths, beliefs, and those of no religious belief. We are making good progress on implementing all the recommendations, including on the recommendation to review the recommendations independently three years from publication of the report.
Hosting an international Ministerial conference on FoRB in July 2022 will build on this ongoing commitment to promoting FoRB for all. Work to deliver this conference is underway, including early engagement with a range of stakeholders. Civil society, faith and belief actors have a key role to play in championing the right to FoRB - as plans progress, we will widen consultation further with FoRB stakeholders.