Thank you for contacting me about hate crime.
All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable. I welcome that a robust legislative framework is in place to respond to hate crimes which target race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity and expect the police to fully investigate these abhorrent offences and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
I am aware that the Home Office is providing up to £50.9 million to protect faith communities, an I support calls for further protection where required. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the new Protective Security for Mosques scheme and a scheme for Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million for the places of worship of other (non-Muslim and non-Jewish) faiths.
Further, I know that Government funding supports True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of all forms of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. Funding should also continue for the National Online Hate Crime Hub, a central capability designed to support individual local police forces in dealing with online hate crime, which provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these despicable offences.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
