Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2021 to Question 19709, Prisoners: Gender Recognition what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the consultation process with external stakeholders of his Department's recent decision to withdraw from the Stonewall Diversity Champion Scheme.

The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service policy framework 'The Care and Management of Individuals who are Transgender' was published in 2019. A routine review of the implementation and effectiveness of this policy is underway. The review will involve consultation with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

This review is entirely independent of the decision that the Ministry of Justice will not renew membership of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Scheme. We will carry on championing equality for all and our commitment to LGBT+ inclusion across the organisation is as strong as ever.

We will also continue to work with a wide range of external organisations, alongside our internal experts and thriving networks.