§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
When, pursuant to Section 20 of the Kent County Council Act 2001, they will lay before Parliament
124WAWhether there is a problem of incitement to religious hatred in England and Wales; what is their estimate of the extent of the problem; and upon what data the estimate is based. [HL168]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe Government recognise that the stirring up of hatred against people because of their religious beliefs represents a real problem in England and Wales. Since the events of September 2001 in particular there has been clear evidence of words and behaviour from a small minority being used to stir up hatred against religious groups. Following the introduction of the offences of incitement to racial hatred there has also been evidence that extremists use religious terms to identify the targets of their threatening, abusive and insulting words and behaviour, to avoid prosecution were they to use racial terms to identify the same people. In evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences, which reported in April 2003, several organisations, including Association of Chief Police Officers and representatives of faith communities, gave examples of this type of activity.