Airports: Sikhs
Transport
John Spellar (Warley, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on discussions on the screening of Sikh turbans at European airports.
Simon Burns (Chelmsford, Conservative)
A rigorous and extensive UK trial of an alternative screening process for religious headgear has been ongoing since February 2011. The Department for Transport has updated the European Commission on this through written reports and oral presentations. I am pleased to say that the Commission has agreed (subject to a vote in the relevant regulatory committee) to introduce new regulations permitting member states to use this alternative screening arrangement. The UK trial has also been extended for a further 12 months.
DFT officials continue to remain available to discuss the UK methodology in more detail with other EU member states should they wish to adopt a similar methodology.