Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure advice provided to ministers by the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group is open to scrutiny by Parliament.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group’s terms of reference have been published on GOV.UK.
The Terms of Reference note that the advice the Group produces will be private initially, giving the Government the time and space to consider recommendations, including what a proposed definition/s should be and the merits for adopting a definition.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to place in the Library of the House a summary of (1) each meeting between the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement the chair of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, and (2) any advice received from the working group; and if they do not plan to do so, why not.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group’s terms of reference have been published on GOV.UK.
The Terms of Reference note that the advice the Group produces will be private initially, giving the Government the time and space to consider recommendations, including what a proposed definition/s should be and the merits for adopting a definition.
It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.
Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 3 March (HCWS487), and the Written Answer by Lord Khan of Burnley on 11 March (HL5102), why the terms of reference and full membership of the Anti-Muslim Hate/Islamophobia Definition Working Group have not yet been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Terms of Reference and full membership of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working group have now been published on GOV.UK. I will deposit a copy of the Terms of Reference in the House Libraries.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 21 January (HC Deb col 867), and further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 24 December 2024 (HC20228), what are the characteristics, policies or activities of (1) MEND, (2) CAGE, (3) the Muslim Association of Britain, and (4) the Muslim Council of Britain, that provide the basis for this Government’s policy of non-engagement with those individual organisations.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will only engage with organisations when it is in the public interest.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government by what process their proposed definition of Islamophobia will be drafted; and what plans they have, if any, to outsource the process to a separate body or council of advisers.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 February 2025, we announced a working group which has been set up to provide government with a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, supporting a wider stream of work to tackle the unacceptable incidents of anti-Muslim hatred.
It will advise government on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims.
The group’s proposed definition must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression - which includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions and/or the beliefs and practices of adherents. This work will support these important freedoms, ensuring that they are preserved.
The group will be chaired by Dominic Grieve KC, bringing his years of legal and government expertise to the role. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, members will engage widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom. Details of the members of the Group will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 5 September 2024 (HC2635), whether the Treasury approved the MHCLG efficiency saving of £5 million on legal fees relating to changing the last Administration's approach to extremism, and how that relates to the Home Office’s reference to those extremism definitions in the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 3 January (HC20295).
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National security and keeping the citizens of this country safe will always be the highest priority for this Government. That is why, soon after the election last year, the Home Secretary commissioned a rapid review of extremism. The Government will set out their approach to countering extremism in due course. Meanwhile, we will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism wherever we find it.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 10 February (HC26476), whether the Government’s policy of non-engagement extends to not engaging with (1) Extinction Rebellion, (2) Just Stop Oil, and (3) Greenpeace.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We do not engage with Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil or Greenpeace.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Rapid Analytical Sprint reports leaked on 28 January, whether they plan to retain the previous Government’s policy on community engagement or disapply it.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Noble Lord to the response I gave to his question to this House on the 10 February of this year when asked which department will have responsibility for cross-Government engagement principles.
As I stated at the time, the Home Office works on countering extremism, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) continues to lead work on strengthening community cohesion with local councils. It is vital that the two programmes on cohesion and extremism work in parallel.
The findings from the sprint have not yet been agreed by Ministers and we are considering a wide range of potential next steps arising from that work. MHCLG continues to work in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has a working definition of Islamism.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the context relevant to the Home Office's responsibility for tackling Islamist extremism or terrorism the UK's counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST says that Islamist terrorism is the threat or use of violence as a means to establish a strict interpretation of an Islamic society.
Asked by: Lord Godson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department is currently working on blasphemy-related extremism; and following the completion of their counter-extremism sprint, which department will then have the lead on countering this threat.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office leads all the work on countering extremism, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government lead all the work on strengthening community cohesion, alongside local councils. The two programmes on cohesion and extremism work in parallel and the two departments work closely together on them.