Religion and law round-up – 19th July

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse got under way and the name of the new Minister for Faith & Integration emerged without the customary fanfare…   

New Minister for Faith & Integration

At the beginning of the week the Government made a very low-key announcement (in fact, so low-key that we only picked it up via Twitter) that the faith portfolio previously held by Baroness Warsi and Eric Pickles has been given to Baroness [Susan] Williams of Trafford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Gov.uk lists her responsibilities as follows:

  • departmental business in the House of Lords
  • local government finance and policy
  • integration and faith
  • HS2
  • Travellers
  • supporting the Secretary of State on City Deals and Troubled Families
  • women and equalities, including race equality (supporting the Department for Education in the Lords).

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

On 9 July the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was officially opened at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre by its Chair, Hon Lowell Goddard DNZM, a judge of the High Court of New Zealand.

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