Census (Return Particulars and Removal Of Penalties) Bill [Lords] Debate
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Jim Shannon
Main Page: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)Department Debates - View all Jim Shannon's debates with the Cabinet Office
Census (Return Particulars and Removal Of Penalties) Bill [Lords]
Jim Shannon ExcerptsMonday 7th October 2019
(4 years, 6 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019 Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 7 October 2019 - (7 Oct 2019)
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the hon. Lady for tabling this new clause, and as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, in which the Sikhs are a stakeholder, I think that her point is very important. I support wholeheartedly what she says and I think that the Government need to be responsive to a changing society in which Sikhs are playing an important, crucial and critical role. I therefore urge the Government to support the new clause.
Preet Kaur Gill
I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has taken on board the issue of ending discrimination, because that is exactly what this new clause does, and that he fully backs it. As legislators, we should uphold the law and, given that Sikhs are already classed as an ethnicity in legislation, we should end this kind of discrimination—that is what we are here to do.