DCLG gave more than £500,000 to controversial Islamic group

The Government gave more than half a million pounds of taxpayers' cash to a controversial Islamic group, it has been revealed.

The Department of Communities and Local Government handed the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and related groups £550,985 over three years.

In March 2009 the Government suspended links with the MCB and demanded one of its leaders should be sacked for allegedly supporting violence against Israel.

In a written Parliamentary answer tonight, the coalition detailed its grants to the MCB and linked organisations.

It said £174,000 was given to improve mosques, £167,000 went to the Nottingham-based Karimia Institute for "youth leadership training", and £25,000 was awarded to Young Muslims UK to "promote talent".

The Department also paid the MCB £2,500 for a table at the Council leadership dinner and gave £157,000 to Muslim Youth Helpline to "build their capacity to extend the reach of their support services to vulnerable young people".

Explaining the grants, junior communities minister Andrew Stunell said: "The Muslim Council of Britain has a large and wide-ranging national membership of organisations affiliated to it."