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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his department has had with faith groups and local authorities promoting faith covenants since the Prime Minister’s commitment in June 2024.

This Government recognises the value of partnership working at the local level to support communities, including between faith and belief groups and local authorities. Faith Covenants are an important example of such partnerships.

The Civil Society Covenant is a principles-based foundation for resetting the relationship between the public sector and civil society. Faith and belief groups are explicitly recognised as valued partners within the Civil Society Covenant.

The new Civil Society Council, which includes representatives from the Voluntary, Community, and Faith sectors, provides a central forum to identify opportunities for civil society to play a greater role in the design and delivery of policies and services.

Our recently launched £11.59 million Local Covenant Partnerships (LCP) Fund puts many of the Covenant’s principles into practice. The LCP Fund will invest in 15 places across England to develop innovative partnership models between civil society organisations and local public sector bodies.