Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities (a) to help the understand the threat from extremism and (b) relating to statutory powers available to them to challenge extremist speakers.

Karen Bradley

The Home Office provides ongoing support for local authority Prevent
coordinators funded by the Home Office in priority areas (currently thirty
local authorities, based on assessment of risk), to ensure that they understand
the threat of extremism and are equipped to deal with it effectively. This is
done through regular regional events, issuing briefings on specific issues, and
sharing best practice across different authorities. The police, including
police Prevent co-ordinators, also work closely with local authorities and
share appropriate information with them.

The Home Office issued advice in 2013 to help local authority Prevent
Coordinators manage the challenges posed by extremist speakers. This included
an overview of the duties placed upon public bodies under the Equalities Act
2010 and the regulations that events must comply with.

Additionally, the Department for Communities and Local Government gave
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Luton Borough Council funding to lead
a national Special Interest Group of local authorities across England affected
by the activities of the English Defence League and similar groups, which has
supported them in sharing knowledge about what works best in tackling extremist
groups.