Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of (a) Jewish and (b) Muslim communities in the UK in the context of the war in Gaza.

In response to the conflict and reports of increased incidents of antisemitism in the UK, the Prime Minister has announced additional funding of £3 million for the Community Security Trust (CST) to provide additional security at Jewish schools, synagogues and other Jewish community sites, bringing total funding for CST, through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, to £18 million in 2023/24. The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement confirmed that protective security funding for the Jewish community will be maintained at £18 million in 2024/25.

Earlier this year, we established the Jewish Community Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce. The Taskforce, chaired by the Home Secretary, allows the Jewish community, represented by CST, to raise concerns with the Home Office, law enforcement and partners, and work together to understand and address the concerns of the Jewish community on safety and security issues. We continue to work closely with CST on how best to respond to live incidents that affect the Jewish communities in the UK.

The Prime Minister has made clear we stand with British Muslim communities. We will not tolerate anti-Muslim hatred in any form and seek to stamp it out wherever it occurs. I can now confirm that additional funding of £4.9 million will also be made available to provide additional protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools in light of increased reports of anti-Muslim hate incidents. This brings the total funding to £29.4 million for both 2023/24 and 2024/25. We have also extended the deadline for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and invite UK mosques and Muslim faith community centres to register for protective security measures by the end of December.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has also allocated over £6 million to Tell MAMA since their inception in 2012 for their vital work monitoring and supporting victims of anti-Muslim hatred.