Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

John Grady Excerpts
Wednesday 19th March 2025

(2 days, 15 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Stephen Timms Portrait Sir Stephen Timms
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I am sure the hon. Lady will welcome the additional £26 billion being invested in the national health service in the coming financial year, for exactly the reasons she set out, and the most severely impaired people will be protected under the changes that we announced yesterday to the personal independence payment. Yes, we will be consulting—there will be a full 12-week consultation period on the Green Paper proposals, and we will be listening carefully to what everybody says in response.

John Grady Portrait John Grady (Glasgow East) (Lab)
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2. What steps she is taking to help end discrimination against ethnic minority people.

Tulip Siddiq Portrait Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Highgate) (Lab)
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6. What steps she is taking to help end discrimination against ethnic minority people.

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John Grady Portrait John Grady
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Glasgow’s Muslim community is characterised by its kindness and public service. Last weekend, I visited my friends at the Hillview Islamic and education centre in Shettleston, and met the convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland, Dr Muhammad Adrees. I heard about terrible incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and crimes in Glasgow and the west of Scotland. Does my hon. Friend agree that our Muslim brothers and sisters should not have to live with that hatred, and will she set out the steps that the Government are taking to combat that?

Seema Malhotra Portrait Seema Malhotra
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I thank my hon. Friend for his question and I completely agree with him. Indeed, I also attended a wonderful interfaith iftar in Hounslow on Friday. Islamophobia is completely abhorrent and has no place in our society. No one should ever be the victim of hatred because of their religion or belief. The Government have established a new working group to provide the Government with a definition of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia, and advise the Government and other bodies on how best to understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination and hate crime targeted against Muslims.