Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in EU member states on the potential impact of the Court of Justice of the European Union's ruling on religious symbols on (a) Sikhs, (b) Muslims, (c) Jews and (d) Christians.
We note the recent Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) ruling on the prohibition of visible religious symbols in government offices.
This case is a matter for the EU and its Member States. We will continue, as part of our wider work on freedom of religion or belief, to monitor the situation of religious or belief communities, including where applicable, as this relates to British citizens working in the EU.
The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting mutual respect, here in the UK and internationally. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a longstanding human rights priority for the UK.