Communities Minister Shahid Malik has emphasised the government’s support for faith schools to an audience of community leaders, attacking the notion that they are damaging community cohesion.

Mr Malik addressed a Jewish Leadership Council lunch at the Met Su Yan restaurant in Golders Green attended by key staff of over 40 organisations, including the Board of Deputies, UJIA, Jewish Care, Norwood and the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade.

In response to a question from the floor about recent criticism of faith schools, Mr Malik said that such attacks were a “distraction” from the real work to be done around community cohesion.

He also outlined his vision for the role of faith-based organisations in wider society and touched on the government’s plans for preventing violent extremism. In addition, he expressed delight at the decision of Home Secretary Alan Johnson to proscribe radical Islamist group Islam4UK under counter-terrorism laws.

JLC chief executive Jeremy Newmark said: “It is heartening that the minister shares our view that attempts to use cohesion as a stick with which to beat faith schools is a shallow and unhelpful tactic.”