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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect of the APPG on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia on (a) free speech and (b) the ability to criticise criminal practices such as grooming gangs.

The Government has been clear that our approach to tackling religious hatred will never inhibit free speech or allow cultural or religious sensitivities to get in the way of delivering justice. We have been focused on a more integrated and cohesive approach to tackling religious hatred. While we are carefully looking at the issue of a definition for Islamophobia as part of this approach, this would not be legislative and would be used as a guidance tool for institutions.