Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding to increase capacity in children and young people's gender services.

This year NHS England has more than doubled the level of financial investment into children and young people’s gender services compared to last year, and will make significant further investment this year and in subsequent years, as up to eight regional providers are established in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review.

NHS England has made significant progress on its overhaul of children’s gender identity services. NHS England closed the Tavistock Gender Clinic last month and opened two new, regional services operating under a fundamentally differing service model earlier this month. A third clinic is set to open in Bristol this autumn, and NHS England has committed to a further three services by 2026. These new services will increase service capacity and reduce waiting lists.