An urgent need to protect and promote inclusive, secular public services was the clear message coming out of last night’s meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG). The BHA provides the secretariat to the APPHG, which has over 100 MPs and Peers as members from across parties.
Chaired by former minister Lord Warner, humanist parliamentarians heard from four speakers covering various aspects of the “Big Society”, the localism agenda and the contracting of public services to religious organisations.
BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said that the BHA’s work on public services in recent years had made clear the potential problems for discrimination by religious employers, and stated that the Big Society agenda will greatly exacerbate those problems.
Sanchita Hosali from the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) said that the Human Rights Act provides a useful framework in public services, giving extra protection for those who may not be covered by equality legislation.
Speaking particularly on the impact in employment, Richard Exell from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said that the more jobs were taken religious organisations contracted to provide public services, the less job opportunities there would be for people who do not share that faith.
Pragna Patel from Southall Black Sisters raised serious issues of the impact on vulnerable women of having often socially conservative and discriminatory religious groups provide services. Ms Patel said there had been a communalisation of Asian communities, with the reorganisation of resources along faith lines only.
Following the speakers there was in depth discussion by MPs and Peers of the issues raised. The BHA will be supporting members of the APPHG as they take forward work in parliament on localism, public services and the “Big Society”.
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Read more about the BHA’s work on public service reform, human rights, equalities and Government and “faith communities”.
The BHA provides the Secretariat for the APPHG but it is not affiliated to, or part of, the BHA. For more information about the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, see https://humanists.uk/about/apphg, or contact Naomi Phillips on 020 7079 3585.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.