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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the contribution of multiculturism to communities; and what steps her Department is taking to promote social cohesion.

This Government is committed to working with communities around the UK to build a culture of cohesion, trust and mutual respect. Building strong relationships and creating spaces and opportunities to bring people from different walks of life together is vital to fostering strong communities.

The appalling violence we saw exposed the deep-seated levels of division and decline felt in so many communities. We witnessed rife levels of Islamophobia and other forms of racism, leaving many people fearful, despite the immediate violence having abated.

To support the recovery of those towns and cities affected, I am leading cross-Government efforts to help places recover and build cohesion. As a first step in this work, we recently announced up to £15 million of funding for those communities which suffered such appalling violence and hatred on their streets. This includes a comprehensive support offer for Southport. We will rebuild our country by working in partnership with communities, to renew the ties that bind us.