Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, whether they will review Census 2021 data and publish data based on male and female biological sex.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Rt Hon. the Lord Blencathra
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
1 May 2025
Dear Lord Blencathra,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, whether Census 2021 data will be reviewed and published based on male and female biological sex (HL6931).
Sex is a core demographic variable of fundamental importance for a range of census users providing vital information for national and local population statistics. In Census 2021 for England and Wales, as in all previous censuses, a binary sex question asked whether respondents were female or male. Supporting online guidance for this question from 9 March 2021 onwards stated, "If you are considering how to answer, use the sex recorded on your birth certificate or Gender Recognition Certificate.” This was changed on 9 March from guidance based on legal documents, following a court order[1].
The sex variable in Census 2021 data is based on the sex recorded by the person completing the sex question[2]. We cannot retrospectively change the basis on which those data were collected and defined, nor would it be possible to accurately derive a new ‘biological sex’ variable based on responses to one or more Census 2021 questions.
The Government Statistical Service (GSS) is currently prioritising work to develop new harmonised standards for data on sex and on gender identity. This will include providing guidance for official statistics producers on definitions, survey questions, suggested presentations, and information for data users. The new standards will be developed through rigorous research and testing with a range of users. It will also include learnings from the experience of other countries and their census data collections, as well as from the independent report published by the Department of Science Innovation and Technology, the Review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender[3]. This work will also take account of any relevant guidance issued by the UK Government following the Supreme Court ruling of 16 April.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/updatedstatementoncensus2021sexquestionguidance
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, whether they will publish a report on civil servants who have been disciplined or forced to leave for expressing gender critical views; whether they will implement a compensation scheme for those civil servants; and what action they will take in relation to those who authorised the disciplinary action against staff who expressed gender critical views.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Civil Service is committed to creating a safe and supportive work environment for all its employees and will not tolerate any form of harassment, unacceptable behaviour or abuse by any party, towards any employee.
Departments have their own policies and guidance on dealing with any such behaviour. We do not hold central data on the reasons for discipline action or dismissals following disciplinary action.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, whether they will consult Ben Cooper KC and David Welsh in the re-writing of any Cabinet Office guidance.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.
We will consult with our Government Legal Department and Kings Counsel Lawyers who specialise in employment law.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what plans they have to review training and awareness courses about biological sex across departments.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what guidance they will issue to (1) the Cabinet Office, and (2) agencies and public bodies that work with the Cabinet Office, about updating their policies and written guidance; whether they will consult the organisation Sex Matters in doing so; and whether the revised policies and written guidance will be laid before Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity and confidence for women and single-sex services providers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; we will work closely with the EHRC as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what plans they have to ensure that departments reflect the decision of the Supreme Court in (1) guidance, (2) publications, and (3) policy proposals.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions have taken place at Cabinet level on the issue of large-scale housing development being accompanied by social and community infrastructure and access to green space.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why membership of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists is not a recognised Property Professional Accreditation within the Government Property Profession Career Framework.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Property and Built Environment has a large number of professional bodies and routes to qualification. The Government Property Profession Career Framework, which was introduced in 2020, sets the standard for accreditation across roles in the government property profession.
Departments are still able to set their own accreditation requirement where a role is particularly specialist or does not fit well in the Government Property Profession Career Framework. This means that if a department needs to recruit an Architectural Technologist, they would be able to do so.
In addition, in 2025/26 we will be reviewing the framework to ensure roles, skills and required accreditations reflect the current civil service workforce and future industry demands. We will engage with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists as part of this process.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their reason for replacing the Union Jack flag flying above His Majesty's Treasury with a flag to celebrate Gay Pride.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
Following instruction from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (the government department responsible for informing other departments regarding flag flying protocol), for the assigned period the flag in recognition of Pride month was flown over 100 Parliament Street. This is the official and principal address and entrance for the following Departments:
HM Revenue and Customs
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
Department of Science, Innovation and Technology
The Union Flag was flown during the same period at 1 Horse Guards Road, the official and principal address and entrance for the following Departments:
HM Treasury
UK Export Finance
Northern Ireland Office
Cabinet Office
This has been confirmed with the operatives who manage the flags process for designated flying days.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the security cameras installed in the combined government offices at Quay House in Peterborough, which includes the offices of the Passport Office, Natural England and Joint Nature Conservation Committee, are supplied by Hikvision. [I]
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the security arrangements of government departments. Specific details regarding the security systems used by departments are withheld on national security grounds.