On Thursday Afternoon yesterday on 22nd February in the House of Lords there was a session entitled Inter Faith Network that was organised by the Government Minister Jane Scott and several member contributed including the Bishop of Worcester, John Geoffrey Inge. So here is his question and the response from Jane Scott. The whole of the discussion can be obtained from here.

John Inge: My Lords, I too pay tribute to the work of the Inter Faith Network. As has been stated, surely the optics of this are not good. I would like to ask the Minister how far non-engagement extends, because surely, in our society, we want to encourage dialogue, even with those organisations that may express some views with which we disagree. To not be willing to engage at all with an organisation that has not been proscribed goes against all the efforts being made to bring our society together—it seems very strange.

Jane Scott: I do not particularly think it is strange. It is a long-standing decision not to engage with the MCB. The Government are doing what successive Governments have done. The person was on the council as a member, but it was when they became a trustee that things became more difficult for the Government.