Richard ALi is the Conservative Party candidate for Burnley.

1) Do you think Muslim faith schools improve community cohesion or have a negative impact on it?

Let’s be clear, we need co-ordinated action to bring down the barriers that exist between communities: integration is infinitely harder in the absence of social justice.

But this can only be done where there is equal opportunity for all; where everyone has a chance to advance in life, to fulfil their potential and to feel that they are part of a shared national effort.

Like Burnley's Conservative Councillors I wasn't in favour of the decision to cite a fee-paying boarding school in Burnley as it was in a residential area of the town and therefore unsuited to 24-7 use.

But, unlike other parties, Conservatives want to meet the rights of parents to give their children a faith-based education in accordance with their beliefs. Our school reform plans will see a massive expansion of good school places, and we anticipate that some of these will be in faith schools.

2) What do you think is the best way to help small businesses in the present economic climate?

First, we’ll make the small business rate relief automatic, saving up to £1,100 per year. This will really help small shops, who’ll also benefit from our pledge to improve planning to support town centres. Next, any new business started in the first two years of a Conservative Government won’t pay any employer national insurance on the first ten employees it hires during its first year.

We’ll also introduce a “work for Yourself” programme to help people become self employed, and support and help the next generation of entrepreneurs.

We’ll provide a £2,000 bonus to small and medium sized businesses for every apprenticeship place they create and offer £5m for small firms to come together to form Group training Associations. We’ll reform government procurement to help small businesses win more work.

Conservatives understand the importance of small businesses. After all, a town without its entrepreneurs is a town without its dreams.

3) Why do you think your party is best suited to the needs of British Asians?

At this general election, I firmly believe all British people face a choice: five more years of Gordon Brown, or change with the Conservatives. That change will directly benefit British people of all ethnic origins.

Firstly, Conservatives will change the economy and back aspiration and opportunity for all.

Secondly, Conservatives will mend our broken society by encouraging responsibility and backing those who do the right thing. We back the NHS, including Burnley General Hospital, which matters more to families than anything. We will reform education, with new schools - and standards and discipline for all. We will tackle welfare dependency and the causes of poverty.

Thirdly, Conservatives will change politics. We’ll give people more power and control, we’ll sort out the mess of MPs' expenses, cut Parliament, Whitehall and the cost of politics. We’ll make politics more local, more transparent, and more accountable.

4) Would you condemn the actions of Israel if the state was to repeat the bombing of Gaza (January 2009)?

I want to ensure that we never get into that position again.

That’s why a Conservative Government would make achieving progress on the Middle East Peace Process a priority.

Any settlement must involve the creation of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state and helping achieve this is the best way of campaigning for peace and justice for the Palestinian peoples.

Conservatives do not support the closure of the crossings into Gaza, which has serious humanitarian consequences and we have called repeatedly for the crossings to be opened to allow humanitarian aid, food and materials for reconstruction to enter on the scale desperately needed.

It is also important that the alleged war crimes identified in the Goldstone report are properly investigated and that both Israelis and Palestinians respond to the findings contained in the report on the Gaza conflict.

5) How do you intend to tackle unemployment amongst young people in neighbourhoods in your constituency?

Too many British people face discrimination and Conservatives want action to bring that to an end. Our plans for an integrated welfare to work programme will give more support to help the unemployed get back to work.

Conservatives will do much more to help young people from all backgrounds develop the skills they need in order to find good jobs.

Under Labour, apprenticeships are drying up, careers advice is a mess and there’s a huge shortage of university places.

Problems like these often hit disadvantaged young people and those from minority backgrounds particularly hard.

Our plans to fund an extra 100,000 apprenticeships and training places, an extra 10,000 university places, 100,000 college places and provide proper careers advice in every school would help more people learn the skills they need to succeed.

Only Conservatives have the policies that can deliver a better Burnley for all our people.