17. To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications of Sharia law practices for community cohesion. (188700)

20. To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications of Sharia law practices for community cohesion. (188703)

Community cohesion is about building better relationships between people from different backgrounds including those from new and settled communities. The use of religious courts, such as Sharia councils, to resolve private family and contractual disputes is well established, and we do not consider that it has an impact on community cohesion. Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales. There is no intention to change this.