My ministerial colleagues and I are committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Indeed, promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
It is incredibly important to protect and support the health of children and young people in our society. In recent years we have made huge progress in understanding mental health issues, and I support efforts to transform children and young people’s mental health for the better.
Test and trace have an important ongoing role in managing the virus and reduces the risk of potentially dangerous variants spreading. The government expects the Test and Trace system will remain necessary through the autumn and winter.
The Government held a consultation on this in 2014 with the majority of respondents in favour of changing the law to allow legally valid non-religious belief ceremonies in unrestricted locations.
I understand your concerns regarding this issue. The primary responsibility of the Government in this area is to protect the public - this is something that should not be compromised.
The Covid-19 outbreak has been one of the most significant and consequential periods of our lifetimes. It has led to a tragic loss of life in this country and around the world and gave rise to previously unthinkable restrictions to our way of life.
IBD can have a deep and lasting impact on quality of life, and it is essential that those living with this condition are aware of the specialist services available from the NHS.
The UK has some of the most committed and professional service personnel anywhere in the world, who not only adhere to the rule of law but promote it through the conduct of their operations.
