church and public issues
being heard by government
The main government department through which representatives of the churches can expect to make their views heard on public policy issues is Communities and Local Government 
.
Within that, the Communities and Neighbourhoods department contains the Race, Cohesion, and Faiths Directorate which includes the Cohesion and Faiths Unit.
The Faith Communities Consultative Council is a body set up by the government in 2006 to be the formal vehicle through which it relates to representatives of the faith communities. It now meets quarterly. The main business item of the November 2007 meeting was a discussion that helped shape the forthcoming consultative document on a framework for government strategy on inter faith concerns, due to be launched in December.
In addition, churches and other faith bodies liaise bilaterally with civil servants in Communities and Local Government, or other government departments such as the Home Office, about a wide range of issues.
There are also other groups that meet to discuss issues relating to public policy from a faith perspective. The Radar meeting enables exchange of information among officers of the national churches and agencies actively engaged in public policy work relating to Westminster legislation. The Religion and Belief Consultative Group was originally a reference group relating to the Steering Group of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). It is now a forum for discussion on a wider range of faith related issues but it continues to have as its main focus issues relating to the religion and belief 'strand' of the EHRC.
