Radicalism Pays off for Local Muslim Groups - £86million

The Preventing Violent Extremism fund allows councils to give money to local projects in the hope that they will prevent teenagers turning to dangerous forms of Islam.

It was launched by the former Communities Secretary, Ruth Kelly, last year and since then has seen £6m spent on trial schemes.
But critics claim large sums of money are being given to projects that do not meet its specific objectives, and are being handed out to community groups without councillors considering them first.

A BBC investigation disclosed that grants of up to £30,000 are being distributed by Birmingham City Council for projects such as a photographic exhibition of positive images of the city's Muslims, and a conference to allow community organisations to meet policy-makers.
One woman who was given funding totalling £7,000 said she did not feel the work she did was an effective use of the money.
She told Radio 4's Today programme: "I did feel at the time that the amount of money I was being offered was rather large for the kind of work and it made me concerned about who gets the money and how they were checking these funds were going to be effectively used."
Cllr Salma Yaqoob from the Respect party added: "It seems to me that the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda is being used as a gravy train for those willing to toe the Government line, regardless of effectiveness on the ground."

But Cllr Alan Rudge, who is in charge of PVE money for Birmingham, insisted there had been wide consultation on how best to spend the cash in areas such as work with young people and women, the media and Islamic groups.
Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, also defended the use of the cash, saying: "We have got to work with local authorities. They know their communities and increasingly the councillors are showing political leadership on it and they are now seeing what works.

"What I want to do is strengthen the mainstream moderate Muslims in this country, who are the overwhelming majority, but also those vulnerable youngsters so they have the ability to say 'You are extreme. Your version of my faith is not correct. I don't want to be part of that'. That's difficult, it's long-term, but we are ahead of many countries across the world in the work we are doing here."

The cost of monitoring Muslims in the U.K.