..PrEsCoTT BaCkS RiGhT To WeAr VeiL..

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has defended the right

of Muslim women to wear veils which cover their faces.

It comes after House of Commons leader

Jack Straw sparked a row by saying he asked

Muslim women to take off their veils at his

constituency surgery.

Mr Prescott told the BBC he would not ask

a woman to remove her veil, adding: "If a

woman wants to wear a veil, why shouldn't

she? It's her choice."

But he said he welcomed the "proper debate"

caused by Mr Straw's remarks.

Mr Straw said on Friday he did not

want to be "prescriptive" but he

believed that covering people's faces

could make community relations more

difficult.

Mr Prescott, who was interviewed on

BC One's Sunday AM programme, said there

should never be "no go" areas for debate.

He added that his colleague was

better placed than anyone else

in the Cabinet to discuss the issue

due the large number of Muslims in

his Blackburn constituency.

The deputy prime minister said he understood the issue of "separateness" raised by the former foreign secretary.

But he said: "I do fear when you say you emphasise separation there is a fear in the general public that somehow that shouldn't happen."

Mr Prescott said veils were a "cultural difference", adding: "If somebody comes into my constituency wearing... a turban or very dark glasses I'm not going to ask them to remove it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4801801.stm