Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 9 March (HL2003) and the remarks by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 13 February (HL Deb, col 2339), what assessment, if any, they have made of Imam Qari Asim’s views on freedom of speech, as reported in The Times on 9 February; and of any impact such views may have on his role as an independent adviser to the Government.

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right and one which must be upheld and defended. Equally, freedom of speech is the foundation of a healthy society, allowing for debate and disagreement, underpinned by those values that bind people together – tolerance, equality and fairness. It is important that all have the right to speak freely, and provide legitimate criticism, and that a strong legal framework provides the appropriate space to do so. The Government will continue to protect people’s legitimate rights and freedoms whilst also remaining committed to tackling hate crime. We are confident that all our advisers uphold high standards and strongly advocate British values.