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| Archbishop of Canterbury intervenes to stop Sunday schools being affected by anti-terrorism laws | Archbishop of Canterbury intervenes to stop Sunday schools being affected by anti-terrorism laws |
| (2 months later) | |
| The Archbishop of Canterbury has reportedly persuaded the government to drop some aspects of a counter-terror law after arguing it would unfairly affect church Sunday schools. | The Archbishop of Canterbury has reportedly persuaded the government to drop some aspects of a counter-terror law after arguing it would unfairly affect church Sunday schools. |
| According to The Sunday Times, Justin Welby met with senior ministers to argue against draft measures in the new counter-extremism bill intended to test "fundamental British values". | According to The Sunday Times, Justin Welby met with senior ministers to argue against draft measures in the new counter-extremism bill intended to test "fundamental British values". |
| The measure would have required out-of-school groups teaching under-19s for more than six hours a week to register with the local council, and would have left them open to snap inspections. | The measure would have required out-of-school groups teaching under-19s for more than six hours a week to register with the local council, and would have left them open to snap inspections. |
| Church leaders feared Christian teachings on subjects such as gay marriage and gender roles would mean Sunday schools were flagged up as extremist under the criteria, according to The Times. | Church leaders feared Christian teachings on subjects such as gay marriage and gender roles would mean Sunday schools were flagged up as extremist under the criteria, according to The Times. |
| After the meeting with Mr Welby, the government has decided to discard the provision requiring these groups to register. | After the meeting with Mr Welby, the government has decided to discard the provision requiring these groups to register. |
| "That requirement has now been dropped," a Whitehall source told the newspaper. "It still means that Ofsted can go in if there is reasonable cause, but it will remove the requirement to register." | "That requirement has now been dropped," a Whitehall source told the newspaper. "It still means that Ofsted can go in if there is reasonable cause, but it will remove the requirement to register." |
| “The Church thought this idea of registration too draconian," the source said. | “The Church thought this idea of registration too draconian," the source said. |
| The forthcoming counter-terrorism bill, which was announced in the Queen's Speech in May, has been met with with concern from a wide range of religious organisations. | The forthcoming counter-terrorism bill, which was announced in the Queen's Speech in May, has been met with with concern from a wide range of religious organisations. |
| In May, a multi-faith alliance condemned the prospective bill, which contains a raft of new powers, including the ability to ban "extremist" organisations. | In May, a multi-faith alliance condemned the prospective bill, which contains a raft of new powers, including the ability to ban "extremist" organisations. |
| The bill does not contain a definition of extremism, however. Religious leaders said rather than fighting extremism, the bill would simply alienate religious communities. | The bill does not contain a definition of extremism, however. Religious leaders said rather than fighting extremism, the bill would simply alienate religious communities. |
| In a statement declaring their objections, they wrote: "We are gravely concerned that the proposed counter-extremism and safeguarding bill will feed the very commodity that the terrorists thrive on: fear." | In a statement declaring their objections, they wrote: "We are gravely concerned that the proposed counter-extremism and safeguarding bill will feed the very commodity that the terrorists thrive on: fear." |
| A spokesman for the Church of England said: "Representatives of the Church of England have taken part in consultations with the Government over the proposals to regulate out-of-school settings. We await the outcome of those consultation in due course." | A spokesman for the Church of England said: "Representatives of the Church of England have taken part in consultations with the Government over the proposals to regulate out-of-school settings. We await the outcome of those consultation in due course." |
| Karen Bradley, the minister in charge of the bill, said the government will continue to consider to examine the draft bill to prevent it having "unintended consequences". | Karen Bradley, the minister in charge of the bill, said the government will continue to consider to examine the draft bill to prevent it having "unintended consequences". |
| “We don’t want to impinge on religious freedoms. If this was easy then government would have done it years ago,” she said. | “We don’t want to impinge on religious freedoms. If this was easy then government would have done it years ago,” she said. |
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