§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the remit of the Home Office Faith Communities Unit. [HL972]
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§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)The remit of the Faith Communities Unit is to:
provide Ministers with advice on religious issues;
take forward the manifesto commitment to review the way in which government interfaces with faith communities, and produce advice for government departments on how to consult faith communities effectively;
develop the Government's links with faith communities, so as to help mutual understanding of the impact of government policies on these communities;
engage with faith communities, so as to encourage their participation at all levels in civil society;
promote dialogue between faith communities, in particular among young people, in order to encourage strong inter-faith relationships;
examine issues surrounding religiously aggravated crime and incitement to religious hatred;
deliver Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January each year); and raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance to all of society.
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many members of staff there are in the Faith Communities Unit. [HL973]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe number of staff in the Faith Communities Unit currently stands at 13.6 full-time equivalent posts.
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the staff in the Home Office Faith Communities Unit are deployed. [HL974]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe main areas of work on which staff in the Faith Communities Unit are currently deployed are: the review of the Government's interface with faith communities; Holocaust Memorial Day; engaging with faith communities; and crime motivated by racial and religious hatred. Within these workstreams staff are deployed to meet government priorities.
§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the main faith communities are represented in the Faith Communities Unit staff team. [HL975]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe recruitment of staff to the Faith Communities Unit, as to other units, is on the basis of competency and ability to satisfy the requirements of the post. The adherence (or not) to, or belief and practice in, a religion is a personal matter for each individual and data on this are not collected.