I have an opinion on Niqaab which I dont actually have on me right now as Im at work however... there are always reasons behind certain rules...

Women can wear a cap style veil which I saw in Umrah but again there are differences of opinion on this matter...

The Prophet (pbuh) said you cannot wear a niqaab during Hajj because Hajj is like when you will be in Paradise you will not need to cover yourself then as you will be focused mainly on Allah (swt) and you will not be looking elsewhere... i.e. opposite genders... (its in one of my hadiths ... Sahih al-Burkhari ... ill reference when i get the chance to get home)

There are ALWAYS REASONS for a rule in Islam, the prophet (pbuh) didnt make up rules as he went along... theres a reason why Hadiths were made... the prophet also said pass on my messages of islam (dawah) to others to learn and implement... [again Burkhari]

During Ihram it is recommended not to wer niqaab... in fact I dont think niqaab is even fard upon women...even though alot of Alimahs and Saudi women wear it... even Men have Hijab...!

Niqaab is not clearly mentioned in the Hadith nor Quran... it is merely the schalors decision to decide and this is also very debatable as there are too many differences of opinion... but of course theres common sense too... the Hadith mentions veils and covering yourself up yes but there is no SPECIFIC covering that is mentioned.... Hijab and Jilbab would be very ideal Niqaab is optional in a sense of sunnah not fard...

In many countries not many older women tend to wear the niqaab however younger women do due to beauty... this has occured in many arab countries also including the Western countries...

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Can I just say this is quite a topic to discuss I will not say you are right or wrong.

In my own personal opinion, women would at least wear a Hijab and maybe jilbab (or what ever loose garment). The Niqaab is also important, but it’s the modern society around us today that has changed people’s opinions on these very issues.

In Saudi its ok to wear a Niqaab as its compulsory but in the UK women have to not only have intentions but also courage and be brave on wearing it as you should know that these silly suicide bombers trying to portray Islam in a bad way and in turn back lashed into our own communities.

As a Muslim I'd be more worried about our Sisters out there alone in Niqaab as people (non-Muslims) would abuse their Niqaab as a terrorist garment then anything else. If I were to avoid this situation I would say women would not have to wear the Niqaab unless they themselves feel comfortable. The Niqaab in this country is more out standing then in Saudi.

Its not about the Government its about the modern society as a whole and the lives we live in are forever changing and if we are to live here we should not only use common sense but also intentions to do the right things at the right time.

Summary
I understand the Quran and Hadith, but there comes a point in life where you must think about the modern era. The prophet’s (pbuh) time has come and gone (even though we must follow his path) we must think about the implications it will follow and about our Brothers and Sisters too. For example, suicide bombings are totally forbidden; yet some people carry it out, this kind of scenario leads to our own Ummah getting punished for their crimes. So my only hope is that Ill pray for our Muslim Sisters, Ameen.

Ma’asalaama