Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken steps to review public safety at protests.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. The government and the police are committed to upholding the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and for people to do so in a manner that is safe and in keeping with the law.
As part of this commitment, the Home Office continues to keep its public order legislation under constant review and will consider any further changes as may be necessary.
In keeping legislation under review, the government has previously reaffirmed the commitment to expedited post‑legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023, which began in May 2025. Separately, in November 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The Review will assess whether existing police powers remain effective, proportionate and used consistently, including in relation to lawful protest.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 9 of her Department's White Paper, entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, what is her planned timetable to take legislative steps to modernise the Public Order Act 1986.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October 2025.
The review will address whether the existing legislation, including the Public Order Act 1986, is effective and proportionate, whether it adequately protects communities from intimidation and hate and whether it strikes a fair and sustainable balance between the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and the need to prevent disorder and keep communities safe.
To lead this vital work, the Home Secretary has appointed Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions and one of the UK’s most respected legal authorities. His independence and expertise will ensure a rigorous and impartial review.
The review is underway and will report its findings to the Home Secretary by spring 2026.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 9 of her Department's White Paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, if she will publish a list of the legislation she intends to modernise.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October 2025.
The review will address whether the existing legislation, including the Public Order Act 1986, is effective and proportionate, whether it adequately protects communities from intimidation and hate and whether it strikes a fair and sustainable balance between the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and the need to prevent disorder and keep communities safe.
To lead this vital work, the Home Secretary has appointed Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions and one of the UK’s most respected legal authorities. His independence and expertise will ensure a rigorous and impartial review.
The review is underway and will report its findings to the Home Secretary by spring 2026.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve safety for the LGBT+ community.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring that LGBT+ people are safe, supported and able to live their lives free from discrimination, prejudice and hate.
As set out in our manifesto, we are expanding the aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 so that crimes motivated by hostility towards a person’s sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability attract tougher penalties, in line with existing aggravated offences for race and religion.
As my Hon. friend Dame Diana Johnson confirmed at Commons Report Stage on 18 June, the Government will implement this through an amendment in the Lords to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Through the Sentencing Act 2020, courts already apply enhanced sentencing where there is evidence of hostility based on sexual orientation or transgender identity. The expansion of aggravated offences will further reinforce the seriousness with which these crimes are treated, ensuring perpetrators face longer sentences and communities are better protected.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question HL4510 on Community Relations: Muslims, what information her Department holds on the reason that the Muslim Council of Britain's written evidence was submitted to the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.
Lord Macdonald is engaging with a wide range of organisations, including different faith and community groups. Given the Review is independent, it is for the Chair leading it to determine which groups and organisations he wishes to hear from.
The Government’s policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain has not changed.
The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 9 of her Department's White Paper, entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, what steps she is planning to take to remove bureaucratic barriers linked to crime and incident recording standards.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to a proportionate approach to the recording of crime and incidents that ensures the police focus on the crimes that matter to local communities.
The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council have been commissioned to undertake a comprehensive review of the recording of Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHIs).
This will examine and make recommendations about when such incidents should be recorded and how best to balance public safety with freedom of expression. The findings of this review will also inform consideration of standards, especially around the recording of online crime.
The Government has committed to update Parliament once the findings are published and will consider any changes required to the statutory Code of Practice on NCHIs introduced in 2023.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government provides to police forces to (a) help deal with racially aggravated sexual assault and (b) support victims of those crimes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police are operationally independent and work in line with College of Policing guidance to respond to hate crime and sexual offences.
However, the Government expects the police to fully investigate each and every assault and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
The Ministry of Justice will invest £550 million over the next three years to provide counselling, court guidance and children’s services for victims. This funding will be delivered via PCCs, who assess local need and are best placed to commission tailored services, including for victims with protected characteristics such as race.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 103696, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications of any proposed definition for the consistent treatment of discrimination or hatred relating to other religions or belief groups.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The independent anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition working group submitted their findings for Ministers to consider. As we have made clear, Government will consider this advice in a way that protects our fundamental right to free speech. Any definition would be non-statutory and compatible with relevant legislative frameworks, and Government will confirm next steps in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 103696 on Islamophobia, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that any proposed non statutory definition of (a) anti Muslim hatred and (b) Islamophobia is compatible with existing hate crime legislation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The independent anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition working group submitted their findings for Ministers to consider. As we have made clear, Government will consider this advice in a way that protects our fundamental right to free speech. Any definition would be non-statutory and compatible with relevant legislative frameworks, and Government will confirm next steps in due course.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) identify and (b) detain Islamic extremists.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
This Government takes extremism seriously. We are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers to counter the activities of extremists. This includes challenging extremist narratives by taking a more muscular approach to identifying and watchlisting extremists, and ensuring dangerous overseas hate preachers and extremists are unable to enter the UK to spread their divisive rhetoric.
Islamist extremism continues to be one of the biggest threats we face and is at the heart of our approach to countering extremism and terrorism. We focus on the individuals, groups and environments, online and offline, which foster and enable hatred, and those who reject the fundamental values of our society and whose purpose is to divide and to terrify communities. These extremists must be challenged, and where their activities fall foul of our laws on hate speech, on public order, or on terrorism they will rightly be investigated and prosecuted.
The UK has one of the most robust counter-terrorism frameworks in the world which is deliberately widely drawn to capture the ever-diversifying nature of the terrorist threat that we face. This includes a wide range of terrorist offences and specialised powers for the police and Security Service to investigate and disrupt terrorist activity, support prosecution, and manage terrorist offenders, where activity meets appropriate thresholds. It is a matter for the operationally independent Police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts to decide if a crime has been committed.