883.This paragraph confers on a Minister of the Crown a power to designate an institution if the Minister is satisfied that the institution has a religious ethos. If an institution is designated it may admit students who share the relevant religion or belief in preference to those who do not, but only in relation to admissions to courses which do not constitute vocational training.
884.This is designed to enable the previous position under an exception in the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 to be maintained. Schedule 1B to those Regulations modified the prohibition on discrimination for a small number of sixth form colleges with a religious ethos. The intention is that this power will be used to designate those colleges.