Visible Religious Symbols: European Court Ruling

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:24 pm on 15 March 2017.

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Photo of Caroline Dinenage Caroline Dinenage The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education 1:24, 15 March 2017

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right; the Government believe, and I believe, that people need to be able to feel strong in their religious identities, and we are ensuring that the voices of people of faith can be heard up and down this country. As now, any dress code or dress ban that an employer imposes must be for legitimate and proportionate reasons, and the employer must be prepared to defend it before a court or tribunal if necessary. Ultimately, those dress codes are for individual employers to decide on, but we are clear that any form of discrimination on the grounds of religion or faith will not be tolerated and is unlawful.