§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to ensure that Sikhs who apply for jobs are not penalised because of their religious beliefs, which include the wearing of turbans.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesAs I understand it, difficulties in the employment of Sikhs have not been related to religious discrimination but to an insistence by employers that all their employees should conform to rules about hygiene or dress.
Strict enforcement of rules of this kind may not always be fully justified by the conditions of a particular job and when the Race Relations Board, as a result of an investigation under the Race Relations Act, 1968, considers that an employer's action, while not unlawful, is based merely on an objection to the wearing of a beard or turban, it will, where appropriate, be prepared to use its good offices to see if the difficulties can be overcome.