The National Secular Society has called on the Government to guarantee a new definition of anti-Muslim hatred will be subject to public consultation. A working group, tasked with developing a definition of anti-Muslim hatred / Islamophobia is understood to have delivered its findings to the Government in October. Writing to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the NSS raised concerns that the Government’s handling of the process to reach a finalised definition risked “limiting necessary discussion and debate”. It asked Reed to guarantee that any proposed definition will be subject to a “full, open, and transparent public consultation before being adopted or implemented in any form”. The NSS has consistently warned that ‘Islamophobia’ definitions and terminology stifle freedom of speech relating to religion, highlighting how accusations of Islamophobia have already been used to suppress lawful and necessary public debate. It has met with the working group to raise its concerns. Reed has previously said he would reject any definition that restricts freedom of expression, stating that people “don’t have a …