Dr. Desmond TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will use section 23 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 to give ministers of religion the same employment rights as other employees. [126879]
186W
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe Government are committed to carrying out full public consultation before exercising the power in section 23, which allows the Secretary of State to confer existing employment rights on categories of individuals who currently fall outside their coverage. The issue of rights for ministers of religion is one of those on which we intend to seek views in the consultation document.