Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has assessed the potential merits of introducing a statutory Code of Practice on the Sikh articles of faith to help prevent discrimination against (a) public sector workers and (b) users of public services.

This Government attaches great importance of correctly applying equalities legislation in the public sector to avoid discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, one of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regulates equality law across England, Wales and Scotland, and human rights across England and Wales, and is independent of government. It has published Code of Practice on Equal pay, Employment and Services, public functions and associations. These Codes of Practice provide individuals, businesses, employers and public authorities the information they need to understand the Act, exercise their rights, and meet their responsibilities, including on the basis of religion or belief.