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10 Feb 2010 : Column 325WH—continued
Through our counter-terrorism programme, we have supported more than 260 projects in Muslim-majority countries. We have worked with partners to strengthen mainstream religious foundations and civil society; on educational reform; to promote legal and human rights;
against corruption; to strengthen parliamentary processes and support democracy; and on youth employment. Much of that work is in dangerous and sensitive areas.
I am sure that hon. Members will understand that we cannot always reveal great detail without risking the safety of those with whom we work, but perhaps some practical examples will help to show the nature of the work in which we are engaged. We have helped to develop the understanding of campus radicalisation among the university authorities in Pakistan. We have worked with a major centre of Islamic learning in the middle east on the training of British and foreign imams. We have taken groups of distinguished British Muslims to countries as diverse as Somaliland, Iran and Afghanistan to break down and dismantle al-Qaeda's claim that the west and Islam are incompatible. In the programme led by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, Ministers such as myself, supported by senior officials, have taken part in a systematic programme of outreach to discuss foreign policy with a wide range of British communities.
Our programme overseas is complemented by the work of the Department for International Development, which addresses the long-term factors that can make communities vulnerable to radicalisation. We work closely with the British Council, which delivers some of our most innovative work overseas. Like my right hon. Friend, I pay tribute to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which is doing a tremendous job in many parts of the world to build bridges and break down barriers between different religions.
In all this work, measuring effect is crucial, so we have developed a rigorous system to assess the impact of our interventions on resilience to radicalisation in priority countries. That allows us to adjust our programmes to ensure that we reflect the changing nature of the threat and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. Countering violent extremism is a new area of activity for the Government and the agenda remains challenging. However, I am confident of two things: first, that the threat is real and persistent, and that the key to long-term success lies as much in defeating extremists in the battle of ideas, as I said earlier, as in arrests or increased security; and, secondly, that we are making progress across Government in our efforts to make a reality of our ambition of countering violent extremism.
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on initiating such an important debate and I hope we will have more debates of such quality.
Sir Nicholas Winterton (in the Chair): This has been a most fascinating debate. I think we are all a little wiser as a result of the speech about terrorism and Islam made by the right hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East and the Minister's reply.
5.17 pm
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