Early Day Motion 309 - Raised In The Uk Parliament On 23 June 2010

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

The motion reads as follows:

That this House notes that European Commission Regulation No. 185/2010 came into effect on 29 April 2010 and that it requires hand searches and discourages the use of hand-held metal detectors if walk-through metal detectors suggest a passenger may be carrying a prohibited article; notes with concern that this presents a major difficulty for turban-wearing Sikhs, as walk-through metal detectors will almost always go off due to pins in the turban; further notes that the Regulation is being interpreted as requiring hand searches of the Sikh turban, which is regarded as being insensitive towards Sikhs and which will become an issue of considerable concern within the Sikh community from 1 July 2010 when the new policy is implemented at Heathrow Airport; recognises that the Regulation allows for the appropriate authority to create categories of passengers that, for objective reasons, shall be subject to special screening procedures or may be exempted from screening; urges the Secretary of State for Transport to consider making those wearing Sikh turbans exempt from hand searches and subject only to walk-through metal detectors and hand-held metal detectors; further notes that practising Sikh passengers have the right to wear a small Kirpan with a blade of up to six centimetres as specified by the new Regulation; and, as the Regulation applies across Europe, requests that the Department for Transport obtains letters from the governments of other EU countries to ensure that British Sikhs have the same rights when flying elsewhere in Europe as they do in the UK under this Regulation.

It has been signed by the following MPs:

Anderson, David

Berger, Luciana

Bottomley, Peter

Bryant, Chris

Caton, Martin

Durkan, Mark

Elliott, Julie

Gapes, Mike

Hodgson, Sharon

Keen, Alan

Mactaggart, Fiona

McDonnell, Alasdair

McDonnell, John

Meale, Alan

Morris, Grahame

Nokes, Caroline

Pearce, Teresa

Pound, Stephen

Qureshi, Yasmin

Sharma, Virendra

Shuker, Gavin

Williams, Stephen

Williamson, Chris

[K Singh 82]

My local MP doesn't appear to have signed it, is it an idea for me to send him an email to get him to sign the EDM or are SF(UK) contacting MP's to sign it?

[JasSinghKhalsa]

Frankfurt / Vienna / Schipol etc. are some important transient Airports for flights coming from Canada / US to India and vice-versa.

Can somebody share their experience on the sort of checking happening in these EU Airports?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

My local MP doesn't appear to have signed it, is it an idea for me to send him an email to get him to sign the EDM or are SF(UK) contacting MP's to sign it?

Sikhs throughout the UK should get their MPs to sign the motion tabled in the UK Parliament in support of the Sikhs right not to have the Sikh turban disrespected at airports and the right of Amritdhari passengers to wear the Kirpan.

MPs from across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) - Belfast, Bristol, Derby, Edinburgh, Erith, Gower, Hayes, Heston, Ilford, Liverpool, Luton, Slough, Southall, Southampton and Sunderland have already signed the motion.

The motion has been signed by the following MPs:

Anderson, David - Blaydon

Berger, Luciana - Liverpool, Wavertree

Bottomley, Peter - Worthing West

Bryant, Chris - Rhondda

Caton, Martin - Gower

Durkan, Mark - Foyle

Elliott, Julie - Sunderland Central

Gapes, Mike – Ilford South

Hodgson, Sharon - Washington and Sunderland West

Keen, Alan - Feltham and Heston

Lazarowicz, Mark - Edinburgh North and Leith

Mactaggart, Fiona - Slough

McDonnell, Alasdair - Belfast South

McDonnell, John - Hayes and Harlington

Meale, Alan - Mansfield

Morris, Grahame M - Easington

Nokes, Caroline - Romsey and Southampton North

Pearce, Teresa - Erith and Thamesmead

Pound, Stephen - Ealing North

Qureshi, Yasmin - Bolton South East

Sharma, Virendra - Ealing, Southall

Shuker, Gavin - Luton South

Williams, Stephen - Bristol West

Williamson, Chris - Derby North