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Hope 2008 Interfaith Strategy confermed.
[1] Interfaith Strategy 5. Ms Celia Barlow (Hove) (Lab): What progress has been made in developing an interfaith strategy. [214839]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Parmjit Dhanda): The consultation on the interfaith strategy closed on 7 March. We plan to publish the strategy in July.
Ms Barlow: Is my hon. Friend aware of the work of Hope 2008, an organisation that supports the voluntary work of the Churches in Britain? Every year, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples perform a very valued service in the community, not least in my constituency of Hove and in Portslade. What will he be doing to support that valuable organisation’s work?
Mr. Dhanda: I
congratulate my hon. Friend on the work that she does in Hove, and she is
right to say that Hope 2008 does excellent work, which underpins
and is very much in tune with our work on an interfaith framework. We
have adopted a phrase coined by the Chief Rabbi and believe that organisations
should work face to face as well as side by side, in the sort of
collaborative action supported by Hope 2008. As I said, we will unveil our
interfaith strategy later this month and, alongside it, details of the
multi-million pound pot that will support that work.
Mr. Gary Streeter (South-West Devon) (Con): But given what the Minister
has just said about outcomes that faith groups can achieve, will he ensure
that not only Government, but local government provide equal access for faith
groups that care for some of the most vulnerable people in our community every
day? Those groups often face prejudice when accessing resources and funds.
Will he do something about that in the interfaith strategy?
Mr. Dhanda: The
hon. Gentleman makes a fair point, and it is one that is made to
me regularly by our Faith Communities Consultative Council. It has been very
supportive of the work on the interfaith framework, and its ideas are being
put into practice in the framework, as he will see in a few weeks.
He is right to say that there is more that we can do with our faith communities.
We are committed to that, and I have seen the very good work that they have
done, not least during the floods last year—including in my constituency.
The council has also been involved in planning for a possible flu pandemic
and how we would approach such an emergency. The engine for that work was
the faith communities in the first place. They have written reports and are
working with us. When we publish the report, I hope that the hon. Gentleman
will see that, like a stick of rock, it has their work, commitment and values
running through it.
