Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 18865, who has attended each meeting of the Community Engagement Forum to date; and who has been invited to attend future meetings.

In his speech on countering extremism in July 2015, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hear directly from all those in our society who are tackling extremism. The Community Engagement Forum is one of the ways the Prime Minister is doing this. The Forums provide a platform for a wide range of partners to share their experiences and learn from each other. Attendance at the Forums is fluid to ensure Ministers can hear from a wide range of partners. To date, the Community Engagement Forum has met on 13 October 2015 and 19 November 2015. The attendees have been from a wide range of backgrounds and were representatives of all parts of the UK.

The following individuals attended the first meeting of the Community Engagement Forum on 13 October 2015

David Cameron, Prime Minister

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for Countering Extremism

Theresa May, Home Secretary

Louise Casey, Department for Communities and Local Government

Max Chambers, Special Adviser on Home Affairs

Camilla Cavendish, Number 10

Brendan Threlfall, Number 10

Arooj Shah, Councillor, St Mary’s Ward, Oldham

Sean Harriss, Chief Executive, Lambeth Council

Paul Martin, Chief Executive, Wandsworth Council

Sheikh Musa Admani, Imam and Muslim chaplain, City University, London

Fareed Ahmad, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association

Farooq Aftab, General Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association

Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester

Khatun Sapnara, circuit judge

Aina Khan, solicitor

Fiyaz Mughal OBE, Director, Faith Matters

Sadja Mughal OBE, Director, Jan Trust

Haras Rafiq, Managing Director, Quilliam Foundation

Sara Khan, Co-founder and Director, Inspire

Wahida Shaffi, Near Neighbours Coordinator; National Women’s Programme Lead, Christian Muslim Forum

Faiza Vaid, Executive Director, Muslim Women’s Network

Aysha and Kiran Iqbal Patel, Directors, Odara

Kamal Hanif OBE, Executive Head, Waverley School, Birmingham

Alun Francis, Principal and Chief Executive, Oldham College

Imam Qari Asim, Chief Imam, Leeds Makkah Mosque (was invited but unable to attend)

The following individuals attended the second meeting of the Community Engagement Forum on 19 November 2015:

Rt. Hon. Nicky Morgan MP, Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities

Lord Ahmad, Minister for Countering Extremism

Louise Casey, Independent review on isolated communities

Alun Francis, Principal and Chief Executive of Oldham College

Aina Khan, Head of Islamic Department, Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Sajda Mughal OBE, Managing Director at Jan Trust

Mary Ney, Supporting Commissioner, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Syima Aslam, Organiser of Bradford Literary Festival

Farook Yunus, Leader of Kumon Y’all

Sara Khan, Director and Co-founder of Inspire

Shaukat Warraich, Chief Executive, Faith Associates

Anil Bhanot OBE, Managing Trustee and Director of Hindu Council UK

Gillian Merron, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews

William Nye, Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England

Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations

Christine Fischer, Catholic Education Service

Pascale Vassie, Executive Director, National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education (NRCSE)

Martin Pratt, Director of Children, Schools and Families, Camden Council

Matthew Coffey, Chief Operating Officer, Ofsted

Phil Champain, Director 3 Faiths Forum

Her Honour Judge Khatun Sapnara, Circuit Judge East London Family Court and Kingston Crown Court

Sue Robb, Head of Early Years, 4Children

The next Community Engagement Forum is scheduled for 14 January 2016. The government is also engaging directly at ministerial level with representatives from community, faith and civil groups, and have engaged directly with both the Scottish and Welsh governments.