The Archbishop of York has called on the Government to give fuller recognition to the work carried out by faith groups in delivering social services and has dismissed those concerned about equalities and other issues.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has said that the government should close the discrimination loopholes for religious organisations involved in public service provision, and should ensure that all services are fully inclusive.

Gordon Brown will be less overt in his faith agenda and less establishment in his church instincts, suggests Simon Barrow. But religion and public life will remain hot political issues.

An easy assumption that religion is less dangerous when it is 'less religious' is wrong, says Simon Barrow. As an article in the International Herald Tribune points out, the path from death to life is found within as well as beyond each tradition.

A project helping young offenders in West London to re-connect with their belief background as a way of improving their behaviour has won a national Youth Justice award. It raises challenging questions about the role of faith in public life.