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Written question asked by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Florence Eshalomi (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Responsibilities: Religion

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Cabinet Office's news story entitled Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet, published on July 2026, whether responsibility for faith will be with (a) Office for Equality and Opportunity or (b) MHCLG.

Answer

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) leads the Government’s work to support and engage faith and belief groups, and coordinates the Government’s work to tackle religious hatred. Whilst the Minister for Homelessness, Democracy, Communities and Faith sits within MHCLG, other government departments will also undertake faith and belief engagement as part of their work.

As the department responsible for communities policy, MHCLG celebrates the central role of faith and belief in our national life, and its contribution to building a more cohesive society where all communities feel safe. MHCLG seeks to ensure that the voices of people of faith and belief are warmly welcomed and richly valued as we tackle the challenges we face together.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity is responsible for the Equality Act 2010, including its protections against discrimination and harassment on the basis of religion or belief.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
20258
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Departmental responsibilities Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Office for Equality and Opportunity Religion
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk