Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 5
7th Report – Combatting new forms of extremism
Published 1 Apr 2026
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Combatting New Forms of Extremism All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Online Safety Act contains gaps that limit government’s ability to address new forms of extremism, particularly when harmful content falls below criminal thresholds. We are concerned that smaller, high-risk platforms are not receiving sufficient regulatory scrutiny. Alongside more robust implementation and enforcement of the Online Safety Act, there is a clear need to equip children and adults with the skills required to critically analyse and interpret extremist content online. This should form part of a wider educational effort to strengthen social cohesion and build resilience to counter extremism both online and within our communities and we welcome the reforms to the national curriculum as a step in the right direction. (Conclusion, Paragraph 61)
From: Home Affairs Committee, 7th Report – Combatting new forms of extremism (HC 903), 1 April 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 11 June 2026 (deadline 1 June 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government's response sets out existing and planned actions on extremism, including a 'fundamental reset of how we counter extremism', rather than a point-by-point acceptance or rejection of the Committee's recommendations.
- On Prevent and non-ideological cases, the Government says its February guidance "clearly sets out that, while ideology is an important consideration, it is not mandatory for a Prevent referral". It adds that Prevent is a counter-terrorism capability, so where there is no terrorism concern, "alternative local support services should be considered".
- On a research and evidence programme, it commits to publish a first annual 'State of Extremism' report "by the end of 2026" and is increasing analytical resource for horizon scanning. It does not set out a standalone research programme.
- On Com networks, the Home Office "agrees that tackling Com networks requires effective coordination" across government, law enforcement, regulators and safeguarding partners. It says it "continues to consider" whether the legal and regulatory framework provides the right tools.
- It commits to bring forward legislation on violence-fixated individuals "in this parliamentary session" and to a Home Office-led taskforce. It is also reviewing Prevent training "with a view to refreshing its content over the course of the next year".