Ever since the government reshuffle last month, there has been speculation that the new education secretary, Damian Hinds, would soon take the momentous decision to announce an end to the requirement on new state-funded religious schools to offer at least half of their places to any local child, irrespective of faith. In an interview with The Sunday Times this week, he seemed to confirm that the so-called “faith cap” would be lifted:  “Where there is parental demand and where there is a need for places, I want it to be possible to create those new schools.”