Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Lightwood Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)]

3. What assessment she has made of the impact on trans people of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated services code of practice.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood)]

The code is explicit that trans people must remain protected under the Equality Act 2010, must have access to vital services and must not be subject to discrimination. This Government will always treat everyone with dignity and respect. As an independent regulator, it will be for the EHRC to monitor and review the impact of its guidance.

[Josh Newbury]

In the three months since the revised code of practice came into force, trans people have reported being forced out of all single-sex spaces, such as toilets for either gender, and they feel that the clock has been turned back to a time when their very existence was policed. That is clearly incompatible with their ongoing protections under the Equality Act, and I hope that it is not in the spirt of what the EHRC hopes to achieve. Will the Minister keep listening to the real-world experiences of trans people and, if necessary, tell the EHRC to look again at the code?

[Simon Lightwood]

The EHRC will keep the impact of its guidance under review. The code is clear that trans people should not be left without facilities to use. Where single-sex services are provided, service providers should consider alternative options, such as gender-neutral or individual self-contained facilities, to ensure that trans people are included. We expect service providers to take proportionate approaches that protect safety and privacy for everyone.

[Noah Law (St Austell and Newquay) (Lab)]

5. What steps she is taking to help disabled people with the cost of transport.