Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will consider adopting or developing national guidance for NHS trusts on the management of single‑sex spaces, similar to proposals submitted to him by representatives of the Darlington nurses.

We expect National Health Service organisations to follow the law and implement the Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers, and to take specialist legal advice where necessary.

The Supreme Court ruling made clear in law that single-sex spaces based on biological sex must be protected and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he expects all NHS providers to follow the law.

Now the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Code of Practice for services, public functions, and associations has been laid in Parliament, NHS England is developing guidance, for instance regarding the provision and use of physical NHS staff facilities, which will be published in due course. This will advise employers on the approach they must take to ensure that their relevant policies are up to date and legally compliant.