MP wants better Jewish and Sikh ethnicity data

Preet Kaur Gill is hoping to get a second reading for her private members bill

An MP has called for a law to require public bodies to make more effort to record Sikhs and Jews as ethnic groups.

Preet Kaur Gill, who represents Edgbaston in Birmingham, said they were sometimes recorded as religious groups, but this data was "never used" to inform policymakers.

She told the House of Commons: "It makes both Jews and Sikhs invisible to policymakers, therefore ignoring the inequality and discrimination both groups face".

Recording them as ethnic groups could lead to greater recognition, she said.

Gill made the comments while appealing for her Public Body Ethnicity Data (Inclusion of Jewish and Sikh Categories) Bill to get a second reading on 7 March.

The Labour MP said: "The only data collected on Sikhs and Jews in most recent years is religious data.

"However, the quality of data collected by public bodies on religion compared to ethnicity is poor, patchy and incomplete."

She said her bill was an attempt "to end the discrimination both communities face".

But she faces a battle to become law due to a lack of parliamentary time to consider private members' bills.