by Geraldine Scott, The Times
The long-delayed code of practice from the equalities watchdog was asked to focus more on helping organisations be lawful
Bridget Phillipson told Britain’s equality regulator that it must “tone down” its guidance over single-sex spaces and make it more inclusive before she presents it to parliament, The Times understands.
The women and equalities minister has not yet published new guidance, which protects single-sex spaces, a year after a Supreme Court ruling defined gender as relating to biological sex in reference to the Equality Act.
She has been in talks with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), under its new chair Mary-Ann Stephenson, and while the guidance itself will not change, the regulator has been asked to include more examples of how organisations can be inclusive within the law.
The code of practice, seen by The Times but not yet released publicly, was submitted to ministers in September. The EHRC confirmed on Tuesday that it had been asked to make some changes and had now resubmitted the draft code.