Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department has provided for organisations undertaking interfaith community activities in Tower Hamlets.

Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities.

The government is funding Inter Faith Week in November, which will provide a national platform for fostering positive interfaith relations across our communities and schools. Alongside this, the government supports grassroots interfaith relations via our funding to Near Neighbours and Schools Linking, which promote dialogue, youth engagement, and neighbourhood cohesion across different backgrounds and faiths. Both programmes operate in Tower Hamlets.

Last year, Tower Hamlets received £25,000 through the Common Ground Resilience Fund (CGRF). Tower Hamlets was one of 30 local authorities funded through the CGRF to support activity to reduce divisions and build resilience against community tensions by strengthening social connections and bringing people from different backgrounds together, including those of different faiths. The Department has also supported VCSE organisations through the Common Ground Award, part of the CGRF, which provided funding to 211 organisations in 2025/26 undertaking activities that build social connections across and between different communities. Four VCSE organisations in Tower Hamlets received a combined £39,900 through this programme.