HC Deb 15 October 2001 vol 372 cc925-6W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce proposals to amend race hate laws to include an offence of incitement of race hatred outside the UK through statements made inside the UK; and if he will make a statement. [7529]

Angela Eagle

The Government intend to bring forward proposals to amend the law on incitement to racial hatred, as my hon. Friend suggests, to remove the existing limitation in the law which means that only hatred directed at a group of persons in Great Britain is covered by the offences.

The Government have also announced their intention to propose this change as part of a package of measures to strengthen the incitement to racial hatred provisions contained in Part III of the Public Order Act 1986 and in particular to extend those provisions to the incitement to religious hatred.