Committee publication · Special Report · 12 May 2026 · HC 1863
Large Print – 10th Special Report – Discrimination, harassment and abuse against Muslim women: Government Response
From: Women and Equalities Committee
Inquiry: Gendered Islamophobia
Summary
This is the Government's formal response to the Women and Equalities Committee's January 2026 report on discrimination, harassment and abuse against Muslim women. The Government welcomes the inquiry, acknowledges the severity of anti-Muslim hostility (4,478 recorded hate crimes in year ending March 2025), and outlines actions across media representation, police training, hate crime legislation, employment equality, healthcare, and online safety.
Key findings
- Government adopted non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility and committed £4 million to combat it, plus appointed Special Representative to champion anti-Muslim hatred efforts
- Police recorded 4,478 hate crimes against Muslims in year ending March 2025 (45% of all religious hate crimes); Government funding record £39.5m for mosque security in 2025–26 with £40m guaranteed for 2026–27
- Government increased community radio funding from £450k to £1m (2025/26) to boost diverse media representation including Muslim women voices; BBC provides 99% of Religion & Ethnics output
- Home Office tabled Crime and Policing Bill amendment to extend aggravated offences covering all protected characteristics including sex; commissioned independent review of hate crime legislation led by Lord Ken Macdonald
- Government publishing renewed Women's Health Strategy addressing Muslim women's health inequalities; transforming mental health services into community-based centres including partnership with local mosques; committing to intersectional employment and income data analysis via ONS
Government position
Government accepts the Committee's core concerns and states it is implementing or has implemented responses to most recommendations. It partially accepts some recommendations citing practical constraints (e.g., ONS religion data reliability in quarterly Labour Force Survey due to sample size limitations) or existing institutional independence (e.g., CPS prosecutorial decisions). Government emphasises commitment to tackling anti-Muslim hostility through legislative reform, funding initiatives, media diversity support, police training, and healthcare improvements.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Women and Equalities Committee, Government Equalities Office, Home Office, College of Policing, Crown Prosecution Service, British Muslim Trust, Ofcom, Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC
Notable line
“Muslim women are pivotal to this, and they are often the driving force behind interfaith and community initiatives.”
Key Quotes
“Police recorded 4,478 hate crimes against Muslims in the year ending March 2025, accounting for 45% of religious hate crimes in the UK.”
“In the year 2025 to 2026, we provided £39.5 million including an additional £10 million of emergency funding to further strengthen security at mosques and other Muslim community sites with protective measures such as security staff, CCTV, floodlights, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing.”
“We are encouraging organisations across sectors to adopt the definition and to consider how it applies within their own specific 4 contexts.”
“The Government increased community radio funding from £450,000 in 2024/25 to £1 million in 2025/26 to help support the growth and sustainability of community radio stations and encourage its development particularly in underserved areas and for underserved audiences.”
“For example, an amendment has been tabled to the Crime and Policing Bill to extend aggravated offences, so they cover all existing protected characteristics including sex in hate crime laws.”
“Government is currently prioritising the implementation of measures outlined in Protecting What Matters, as well as continuing existing programme to address hate crime and religious hatred.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗