§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received alleging that there was a threat to religious freedom posed by the EU directive on employment agreed between the Governments of the EU on 17 October. [135066]
§ Mrs. RocheThe European Commission put forward a package of proposals under Article 13 of the Treaty of the European Community (EC) in November 1999. The package included two directives, one on racial discrimination in particular and one on discrimination in employment and training on a wider range of grounds: sexual orientation; religion; age; and disability. These have now been agreed between the Governments of the European Union.
The Home Office has received a total of 128 letters on the subject of the proposals as a whole. Officials have estimated that of these, 60 letters alleged that the EC Directive on employment posed a threat to religious freedom.