Integrated Communities

Anna Soubry Excerpts

Wednesday 14th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

I call Anna Soubry.

[Anna Soubry (Broxtowe) (Con)]

rose—

[Sajid Javid]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I call Anna Soubry.

[Anna Soubry]

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker; my apologies to the Secretary of State.

I have just heard that Round Hill Primary School has issued a letter to all its parents because some of its Muslim families have received these horrible and hateful letters. I know that the Secretary of State will join me in expressing his complete condemnation of that. Does he also agree that, although that is hate, a lot of this stems from the twin problems of ignorance and blind prejudice and that we should all—whatever community our lives touch—do everything that we can to get rid of that ignorance and prejudice that, in its extreme form, ends up with people sending horrible, hateful, very seriously criminal and offensive letters?

[Sajid Javid]

I join my right hon. Friend in condemning whoever may have sent those letters to the parents at the primary school in her constituency, and I extend my support to those parents. What she has outlined really goes to the heart of this strategy, which aims for everyone to recognise that, when we reduce segregation and build a better integrated society, we build more trust between people, help them to get on better and help them to put aside any prejudices that they might have had. That is why it is so important that we see this strategy through.