Bullying & Intimidation: The New Face of Buddhism in the West


What do you make of a Buddhist group that threatens to sue anyone who dares to say anything critical about it? Enter, the New Kadampa Tradition

In July 1996, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported that “One former member wrote to Kelsang with a number of concerns about the NKT. In his reply, Kelsang rejected all the criticism and threatened legal action if any of the criticisms were ever published. In June, the NKT wrote to an Internet user, referring to legal action because he had disputed the history and origins of Dorje Shugden”


Kelsang Gyatso, NKT founder, exhibiting typical humility
Is this the real face behind the mask?


Sound a little odd? Well, it looks like it didn’t start  there.

Dr Edward Reiss

In 1997, Helen Waterhouse’s  ‘Buddhism in Bath’ paper mentioned an unpublished  document on the NKT by Dr Edward Reiss. According to Waterhouse, Reiss used extensive quotes from internal NKT documents – Full Moon magazine and an internal ‘Notes on Teaching Skills’ document to justify its points......The six-page document [is] organised into several sections: 1. ‘Cultism: Personality Cults’, 2. The Benefit of Buddhists: Milking the DSS (the residents on public benefit issue), 3. ‘Free to Leave? Insider and outsider doctrines’, 4. Deceptive Presentation, 5. Mind Control: By-passing the critical faculties, 6. Buddhist Fundamentalism? Dissent and independence. This is followed by two pages of ‘Recommendations and Questions’ to the NKT/Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

The reason the document never saw the light of day? Seemingly, Reiss was threatened with legal action.




the Washington Times & Sydney Morning Herald



In November 2002, Kelsang sent the editor of the Washington Times with the following message
1. You can publicly apologize and withdraw your false statements and accusations and print an article which must be based on my above letter on the front page of your newspaper “ and “2. If you do not accept to publicly apologize and withdraw your false statements and accusations, and to print an article based on my letter as detailed in point (1), then I have no choice but to engage in legal action.”

A letter expressing the same threat of legal action was sent to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald a couple of days later

Lama Thubten Yeshe

Lama Yeshe, founder of Manjushri Institute

This was not the first time the NKT leader and his followers had issued threats. In the period preceeding the NKTs birth, in 1983, Kelsang sent his disciple Chip Rodamor and translator to put pressure on Lama Yeshe to release Conishead Priory to Kelsang and the board of trustees, whom Kelsang had talked into supporting him. When Lama Yeshe chose not to meet with Kelsangs messengers, Rodamor sent him a tape containing the following message

Now at present, the Charities Commission holds a type-written report numbering close to 100 pages which not only summarise a number of civil and criminal illegalities with respect to the conduct of the management of Manjushri Institute but also contains supporting evidence. Please also appreciate that our attorney in London, who is an expert in Charity Law, also holds details of the most serious criminal illegalities conducted by some of the trustees and others and supporting evidence. Now, the immediate consequence of not signing the agreement that we presented to you a few days ago is that our attorney in London will turn over the details of the most serious criminal illegalities to the Solicitor General’s Office. The consequence of this will be a police investigation of the trustees of the Manjushri Institute in addition to the conduct of the FPMT organisation. In addition to this the Charities Commission will start a full investigation of the civil and criminal illegalities….. If we are unable to return to England with your signature…… then please know, Lama, without doubt that civil and legal actions will commence next week.”

Nice!


The sun sets on Conishead Priory

What the tape didn’t do was thank Lama  Yeshe for inviting Kelsang to teach at Manjushri, nor did it acknowledge that the “civil and criminal illegalities” Rodamor spoke of had taken place while Kelsang was in charge! (No charges were ever brought, something which, as we shall see, is a recurrent theme in the NKT’s legal policy)

In true Buddhist spirit. Lama Yeshe accepted defeat and offered the victory to Kelsang and the Priory became the physical nucleus of the NKT. What Buddhist principles lay behind the bullying and power games that gave the Priory to Kelsang as yet, remain unclear.


The UK Network of Buddhist Organisations

In 2009, Kelsang personally organised worldwide demonstrations against the Dalai Lama, this after publicly promising that he would never do such a thing again, after having organised similar demonstrations during a previous visit by the same.

In  response to this news, the Chair of the UK Network of Buddhist Organisations wrote to the NKT, suggesting:

The second wave of worldwide demonstrations against the Dalai Lama in 2008.
 Despite Kelsang personally organizing them, and the demos being populated 
overwhelmingly by NKT members, Kelsang denies any involvement of the NKT


“…….if the NKT leadership want to enhance the reputation of their organisation they should distance themselves and their organisation from any potential demonstration and make it clear in writing that if anyone does protest, this is unofficial. We would further suggest that NKT supporters are asked by the leadership not to undertake any protest at all.”

Interestingly, when the NKT first joined the NBO, it was on the basis of a promise made by NKT senior Jim Belither that the group would refrain from such protests in the future. As a result  of their joining, 3/4 of the NBOs Tibetan membership left.

In light of the storm of controversy the protests caused, the NBO formulated a code of conduct for all its members to sign before their annual membership renewal. One of the most significant clauses was that members should refrain from public conflict and to express any grievances privately, behind closed doors.

"Earlier this year, in the letter sent by the NBO Treasurer,  you invited the NKT to renew its NBO membership with the  condition that the NKT must accept the new rule that you have created  for members. On 2ih January 2009 we replied explaining that the NKT should continue always to be  a member of the NBO, but that we would not accept the new rule you are making which directly violates democratic rights of free speech and action. The NKT asked you not to create such an unfair rule." 

*Because we are Buddhists, we need to solve our problems and misunderstandings through peaceful methods, with a good heart and an open mind........(however,) If we fail to resolve this problem through peaceful methods there is no doubt that we will therefore need to engage in legal action to clarify the issue of the position of the members of the NBO and to achieve a final resolution. In conclusion, the NKT asks that the NKT always  remains a member of the NBO but, the NKT cannot accept the new rule that you haveundemocratically created. And we ask:  do you accept this? We need your reply before the  10th April 2009.  If we do not receive your reply by that date, we will regard that you have not accepted."

The NKT did not renew its membership. 

Coinicidentally, two of Kelsang's 
majordomos, Kadam Lucy James and Bjorn Clausen, who had been actively involved in organizing previous demonstrations but who had expressed concerns about potential repercussions of repeating the same mistake, were immediately removed from their positions
In response, James allegedly wrote:

"Since the beginning of our involvement with the NKT we have been repeatedly told that the NKT was not involved in politics. Now that the NKT has opened up with its political position and begun demonstrating I can no longer be a part of the organization. This complete lack of honesty about the NKT's involvement in Tibetan politics is the reason for my departure."

Inform 


Inform is an independent academic body funded by the UK Government’s Home Office and based at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), one of the UK's leading academic institutions.

As the NKT gained increasing prominence, so to did the complaints about its activities In 2008,inquiries received more enquiries about the NKT than any other British New Religious Movement, as also was the case for the following few years. 

In response to these increasing  inquiries, Inform produced an information leaflet on the NKT, charting its history and development as well as some, though not all, of the controversies surrounding it. 

As academics involved in the study of New Religious Movements, Inform provides the organizations it comments on with draft copies of anything it writes  so that they have the chance to comment before publication. However, when Inform provided the NKT with what they intended to publish, the NKT responded, characteristically, by threatening legal action and the publication was adjusted.


Gary Beesley, Author of  'A Cuckoo in the Peacock Palace'




Perhaps the most infamous and controversial legal threat issued by the NKT came in 2010, in the run-up to the publication of 'A Cuckoo in the Peacock Palace: The Decline of Tradition in 21st Century Western Buddhism and the Rise of the New Kadampa Tradition'

The publicity for the book read:

"Many visitors to the Dalai Lama's teachings across Europe and the USA in 2008 were surprised to come across groups of Chinese and Western protesters, many dressed in Tibetan Buddhist robes and with shaven heads, chanting anti Dalai Lama slogans, accusing him of being 'a liar', a 'hypocrite', and a denier of the basic human right to religious freedom”

"A Cuckoo in the Peacock Palace" charts the gradual development of the deity cult lying at the very beginning of the long running dispute that gave rise to these protests, from its bloody and controversial birth in the mid 1600s, down to its continuing bloody and controversial existence in the present day”

"Since the overwhelming majority of protesters outside the Dalai Lama's teachings internationally were members of the Western, Neo-Buddhist Movement, the New Kadampa Tradition, and since it was they who provided the logistical framework and manpower behind them, 'Cuckoo' analyses the history of the NKT and asks to what extent the group have become puppets of the Chinese propaganda machine in its ongoing war with the Dalai Lama of Tibet”.

Two weeks before the book was due to be published, both Beesley and his publisher received letters stating:

In the title and subtitle of this book you are deliberately and directly implying that the development of the New Kadampa Tradition has caused the Gelug Buddhist Tradition to decline. This is entirely false and misleading, and very negative and extremely harmful ...This will of course cause great damage to the public moral and financial standing of all these Centres, now and far into the future".

"Because we are Buddhists it is always important to try to solve our problems by peaceful means. For this reason, the NKT would like with this letter to propose to you that you completely remove all the negative information about the New Kadampa Tradition, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Dorje Shugden from  your forthcoming book. If you sincerely agree to do this, then the 1,200 Buddhist Centres of the New Kadampa Tradition will patiently accept the immense harm that you have already done to their reputation by spreading this false information on the Internet."

"If you accept this proposal, we request you to you give us the opportunity to read and consider the book before it is published so that any false or defamatory statements or implications can be clarified with you. If you do not accept this proposal, then the NKT will have no choice but to engage in legal action against you and your publisher to protect all the  Buddhist Centres of the New Kadampa Tradition. The NKT would sue for  compensation for the further great damage to its moral and financial standing that the book would cause.”

Unable to meet the substantial legal costs involved in fighting the NKT in the UK courts, Beesley was forced to withdraw the book, despite its contents being thoroughly evidenced.
The incident caused uproar across the web and confirmed the NKTs reputation as the most Draconian and litigious of all of Britains most controversial Buddhist, New Religious Movements

For further background information, as well as an explanation of more sinister reasons behind the withdrawal of Beesley's book, see


Kadam Nick Gillespie

Gillespie at the London demos in 2008
In April 2012, the NKT expelled Nick Gillespie, probably one of the biggest cogs in the organization's business machine. For many years, Gillespie had been the main person responsible for developing the NKT's centres and increasing membership: he helped set up the Madhyamaka Centre near York in 1986.He had also been spokesperson for the NKT front group, the Shugden Supporters in the West He was the man behind the bulhorn at the earliest demonstrations outside London's Office of Tibet in 1996.

Then, in his obvious enthusiasm, Nick decided to write a book on Buddhism. Here is the NKT response to his decision to share his wisdom

"I am writing this letter on behalf of the NKT Education Council regarding your forthcoming book "Where Happiness Is". In the preface of your book you indicate that you are a pure and qualified NKT Teacher. Clearly you are saying this publicly in order to fulfil your personal aim which is the opposite of Geshe-Ia's intention to flourish pure Kadam Dharma.


On the 21st July the Education Council removed you from the position of an NKT Resident Teacher. If you are a pure and qualified NKT Teacher then why did the Education Council remove you from your position? Without permission you cannot use Geshe-Ia's name, NKT's name or any of the NKT Dharma Centres in your book to show yourself as a qualified Buddhist writer. If you do this without permission from the NKT Education Council then the NKT will engage in legal action against you to seek compensation for the great damage in the future to the NKT's development both spiritually and materially. You should also know that you have a legal agreement with the NKT which you signed so you will have broken this agreement.

Because we are very worried that your actions will cause people confusion and to follow in a different direction and in this way NKT quickly will be destroyed. So to prevent these dangers the Members of the weekly meeting of the Education Council made the decision and are asking the Admin Directors of all the NKT Dharma Centres including in particular KMC New York City to cease the connection between the Centre and yourself Nick Gillespie. This ban will be effective on the 29th April 2012."

"What goes around, comes around"
Justin Timberlake
So, for wanting to share the teachings of Kelsang, Gillespie was banned from the NKT an threatened with legal action. With friends like that.........


The Trustees of the NKTs Maitreya Buddhist Centre

NKT faithful trustees helped set up and successfully run their Maitreya Centre near Hastings for five years; the centre was regularly attended by around 50 devotees (who obviously dont read the papers or surf the web!) All went well until, without explanation or warning, Head Office sacked the popular, long term resident teacher and put in place a new teacher who didnt see eye to eye with the trustees. When one trustee complained, he too was 'sacked', without further explanation.



This caused what one person described as “a traumatic and bitter dispute” leading to NKT Head Office komandants,  who clearly rule with an iron fist in their quest to ensure obedience  and uniformity of  product, issuing a number of legal threats, with Obersturmführer  Mcbretney, who spends much of his time signing legal threat letters to  all and sundry, as well as several to politicans, condemning the 'demonic' Dalai Lama (see an example here
and making false allegations and disngenuous claims of representative status to the police ( or what some call 'lying'),  in a vain  attempt to get them to throw the legal occupants of the centre out of the premises. The website of the centre  was even hijacked so as to paint a picture of everything being just fine and dandy: the page describes the centre as "a special place of tranquility, rest, reflection and friendship". Honest, It really is.(Ed. Urm, thats lying too, isnt it?)

You can read about what the "special place of tranquility, rest, reflection and friendship" is really like at: 

http://maitreyabuddhistcentre.wordpress.com/news/

Unfortunately for Head Office, All NKT centres are legally autonomous charities,which has numerous benefits, including microscopic tax bills for a  political organization, sorry, 'religious charity' ( Wooops, I did it again, 'group of charities') with a massive, multi-million pound annual turnover (something ordinary, non-celestial beings call 'tax avoidance'). So it was that, when the trustees at Maitreya decided they didnt like being told what to do by the autocratic  and authoritarian bully boys at Head Office, they refused to comply with their edicts, as is their legal right under the charity's constitution.

The situation is now at an impasse, with the Charity Commission advising both sides to enter into conciliatory mediation. The trustees, in true Buddhist fashion, have publicly stated their willingness to do so. NKT Head Office remain silent.



So this is how the NKT treats those who have tirelessly worked hard for them for years, giving up much of their free time and energy to promote 'Kadam Dharma'. Coming soon to a town near you. Fancy it?


"When their sandcastles collapse, children howl in despair"
Shantideva, 8th century CE









"And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually."

Jimi Hendrix, 20th century CE



The Clenched Fist-the NKT mudra





Before the NKT, this wouldve been a joke
Now its a reality






Parliamentary Questions About Controversial British Buddhist Organizations

In the late 90s and early 2000s, a number of questions were raised in the English House of Commons about four controversial British Buddhist bodies: the New Kadampa Tradition, the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, Soka Gakkai International and the UK Network of Buddhist Organisations; the first three of these, the NKT, FWBO and SGI UK were, at the time recognized as Britains wealthiest, most prominent Buddhist organizations.The questions and their responses are recorded here for the sake of the record

Parliamentary Questions: 45434, 85303, 85934, 86280, 88724,  91730, 101097, 131278, 147208, 147209, 152364, 152368. 156701, 157746, 157747

The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, New Kadarnpa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International.


PQ 45434 Mr Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what representations he has received concerning the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and their educational material; and if he will assess the authenticity of the material on their website and its coverage of Buddhist traditions with a view to advising local authorities on the suitability of the material for schools.

PQ147208,147209
 Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has had discussions with the Community Development Foundation on the appropriateness of religious groups receiving grants from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund where allegations of cultish behaviour have been made against them; [147208] And what representations her Department has received on cultish behaviour in the (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) New Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International. 

Mr. Dhanda: The Department has received correspondence from a member of the public regarding the alleged cultish behaviour of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, New Kadarnpa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International. No other representation has been received by the Department. Communities and Local Government has commissioned the Community Development Foundation to administer the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. Officials made the Community Development Foundation aware of the existence of the allegations. The Department  considered whether these allegations had any relevance when set against the Fund's stringent criteria and guidelines. The decision was made that the criteria were satisfied and the award of funding was made.

PQ 152364
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and  Families what guidance he has issued to schools on dealings with  organisations which have been the subject of allegations of cultish behaviour, with particular regards to (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) New Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International; and if he will make a statement.
Kevin Brennan: The Department has issued no such guidance. Religious education syllabuses for maintained schools without a religious designation are drawn up by an agreed syllabus conference which  advises the local education authority. The non-statutory framework for Religious education was published in October 2004 and provides that pupils should be taught about Christianity, at least one other principle religion and a religious community with a significant local presence. It is up to schools and local authorities to decide upon resources and teaching methods and this would include checking the credentials of any organisation they chose to work with. (In fact, no such legislation exists; vetting procedures apply only to individuals and not organizations and there is no statutory requirement for local authorities to check organization's credentials)


PQ 152368
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the offering of grants to organisations against which there have been allegations of cultish behaviour to support their activities in schools. with particular regards to (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) new Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The Department has offered no grants to: (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) new Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International.  All Government Departments follow stringent procedures, seek appropriate references and use independent assessors to examine the constitutions and financial records/accounts of all organisations before they make any recommendations for funding.(While 'the Department' had offered no such grants, other Government departments had, despite warnings about the allegations and the fact that the groups concerned were the nations wealthiest and certainly did not need to rely on charitable handouts, as do many of the Uks somewhat impovrished Buddhist organizations)

PQ 156701
Mr. Leech:To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations the Government has received on the activities of(a) The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) The New Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International; and when such representations were received.
Mr Dhanda:Communities and Local Government has received correspondence from a member of the public regarding the alleged cultish behaviour of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order,New Kadampa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International, and the recommendation of funding to these organisations under Round 2 of the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. This representation was
received on 1 May 2007. As far as we are aware, no other representation has been received.

PQ 157746
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 75W, on the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, what investigations took place into the allegations made against the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the New Kadampa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International before her Department took the final decision to grant funds to the three organisations from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.
Mr. Dhanda: I refer to the earlier answer (that being that Government itself made no investigations)

PQ 157747
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on cultish behaviour in the (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b)New Kadampa Tradition and  (c) Soka Gakkai International.
Mr. Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the earlier answer

The Network of Buddhist Organisations 

The Network of Buddhist Organisations took shape as a result of meetings convened by the Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London in 1993 for the purpose of inviting the Dalai Lama to visit the UK. After the Dalai Lama's visit, the interest of many of the members diminished. Many that is. apart from Soka Gakkai UK and the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.


Realising the value of the NBO corporate label, representatives of the two quickly manoeuvred themselves into dominant positions on the NBO's controlling body. The NBO label was a very convenient way of maintaining status in the UK Buddhist arena despite criticism of both groups, nationally and internationally, both among Buddhists and in the media.In short, the NBO name became a flag of convenience beneath which both could hide.

In mid 2006 an internet campaign alleged that the NBO was a "self appointed" organization with no official representative status, and that it was "dominated" by three controversial New Religious Movements, Soka Gakkai International, the FWBO and the New Kadampa Tradition, each of which was employing the NBO as a 'flag of of convenience' after significant criticism of each in the public domain. The long standing chair of the NBO for example, was the leading figure in Soka Gakkai UK. Its educational advisory group was run by a member of the FWBO, an organization with a history of widespread sexual abuse spanning three decades and NKT representatives had been very active in the NBO's chaplaincy work, despite one of thier central practices being what the Dalai Lama called "the worship of a spirt of the dark forces".

 The campaign further alleged that, while the NBO presented "itself as the representative voice of Buddhism in the UK", it had "almost no ethnic Asian Buddhist members", the NBO Development worker's blog speaking for instance of, " ...the many (UK) Buddhist groups of Asian origin...not...well represented on...forums such as the NBO".


This led to the following Parliamentary Questions being raised, first about the NBO itself and whether the UK Government had done anything to assess its representative status and further,as seen above, over the appropriateness of Government granting funds to the three New Religious Movements or "groups against which there had been listed, particularly in light of allegations of 'cultic behaviour', somewhat astoundingly, to support their work with children in schools.


"The 4th monkey, 'Admit No Evil', was absent due to Parliamentary responsibilities"
It emerged in response to these questions that no government department had made any attempt whatsoever to assess the NBOs representative status or investigated any of the allegations against the three groups. The Government further indicated that, regardless of allegations of cultic behaviour, the organization's listed fulfilled their funding criteria (amongst which, surprisingly, was not "Is the group widely recognized as a cult?") and grants would therefore stand. Moreover, it claimed that the responsibility for vetting such organizations before allowing them access to minors lay with Schools and Local Authorities, despite the fact that no such explicit government directive exists, vetting schemes only applying to individuals rather than conglomerates.


The NBO issued a response vehemently denying that there was any truth behind the allegations, both those concerning its representative status and those which alleged cultic behaviour against its three prominent members. Their response listed some but not all of the 15 Parliamentary Questions raised concerning themselves and their members; in particular, several questions concerning cultic behaviour were omitted.


PQ 85303
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of the Buddhist organisations that the Home Office consults with.

PQ 85934
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues affecting matters concerning her Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if she will make a statement.
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of a range of faith organisations that the Department consults with on relevant issues. For example, the Network of Buddhist Organisations is a member of independently formed multi-faith group which the Department maintains close contact with as part of our commitment to a multi-faith approach to NHS Chaplaincy.


PQ 86280
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues affecting matters concerning his Department, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The DfES has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of the organisations that the Department consults on relevant issues.

PQ 88724
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006, on Buddhism, what factors were taken into account in including the Network of Buddhist Organisations on his list of consultees; what other Buddhist organisations are included on the list; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The Department will always seek to consult as widely as is reasonably practicable. Factors taken into account include the nature, scale and subject of the consultation. The Network of Buddhist Organisations has 27 member organisations and 25 associate member organisations, from a range of Buddhist traditions, and is one of the groups with which the Department has consulted on relevant issues. The Department has previously consulted the Clear Vision Trust, The Buddhist Society (both of these were NBO members) and individual Buddhists.


PQ 101097
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Department’s list of organisations consulted on religious issues, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is just one of the Buddhist organisations that the Home Office consults with.


PQ 88724
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 308W, on Buddhism, what factors were taken into account in including the Network of Buddhist Organisations on his list of consultees; what other Buddhist organisations are included on the list; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The Department will always seek to consult as widely as is reasonably practicable. Factors taken into account include the nature, scale and subject of the consultation. The Network of Buddhist Organisations has 27 member organisations and 25 associate member organisations, from a range of Buddhist traditions, and is one of the groups with which the Department has consulted on relevant issues. The Department has previously consulted the Clear Vision Trust, The Buddhist Society (both NBO members at the time) and individual Buddhists.

PQ 91730
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 August 2006 to Question 85303, which other Buddhist organisations his Department consults.
Mr. Byrne: The list of contacts the department has for Buddhist groups includes The Buddhist Society and the London Buddhist Vihara as well as the Network of Buddhist Organisations. We do not hold records when or how often organisations are consulted.

PQ 101097
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Department’s list of organisations consulted on religious issues, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is just one of the Buddhist organisations that the Home Office consults with.

PQ 131278
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what investigations take place into applicants for grants from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) on (a) the extent of their representativeness amongst that religion’s followers and (b) the ability of groups to finance schemes without FCCBF grants (the three leading NBO groups were Britains richest organizations)
Mr. Woolas: Applications for funding from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF)are administered by the Community Development Foundation on behalf of Communities and Local Government and are considered against a range of criteria, based on assessment of supporting information provided. The consideration process does not consider the extent of applicants’ representativeness among a religion’s followers, but where relevant the Community Development Foundation will take care to ensure an organisation does reach the communities they claim to.