§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend offences which involve aggravation by racial hatred to include aggravation by religious hatred; and if he will make a statement. [9896]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 24 October 2001]: The Government intend to bring forward proposals to extend the law on racially aggravated offences, to cover offences aggravated by religious hostility.
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.