From House of Commons Hansard
Oral Answers: 5th July 2007

Minister for Women

5 July 2007 : Column 1089

Gender Dysphoria

19. Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley) (Lab): How the Government are promoting equality for people with gender dysphoria; and if she will make a statement. [147657]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Barbara Follett): The Government are committed to promoting equality for people with gender dysphoria. Since April 2007, the duty on public authorities to eliminate sex discrimination has underpinned the specific legal protections for transsexual people in the work place that we introduced in 1999. We are now consulting on ways to extend those protections.

Chris McCafferty: May I add my congratulations to my hon. Friend on her promotion, and welcome her to the Dispatch Box? Is she aware of the huge disparity in the ability of transgender people in the UK to access treatment and surgery? In her new role, will she liaise with colleagues in the Department of Health to ensure equality for all transgender people nationwide across the UK?

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Barbara Follett: I am aware of the disparity to which my hon. Friend refers, and she will know all too well that responsibility for this matter rests currently with individual primary care trusts. However, I am already working across Government, and with the Department of Health in particular, to improve access to treatment and surgery for the trans community. The Department of Health has a programme of work that is aimed specifically at better meeting their needs.

Lorely Burt (Solihull) (LD): This is the last time that I will be speaking to the House in the role of my party’s spokesperson for women and equality. [Hon. Members: “Shame!”] May I add my congratulations to the Minister, and wish her very well in her new role? Also, I want to place on record my thanks to her predecessor, the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn), who is now Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. She worked in an extremely positive way with me and with Conservative spokespeople on these matters.

I congratulate the Government on their proposals in respect of transsexuals. They are defined as people who have had, or seek, gender reassignment surgery, but that definition does not cover the vast majority of trans people, who do not want surgery. Why is no protection in place or planned to cover the majority of trans people who are not seeking surgery?

Barbara Follett: First, I thank the hon. Lady for her kind words, and I commend her on the work that she done in this House on women and equality issues. I shall also convey what she said to my predecessor.

I agree that a great deal of work remains to be done in respect of the trans community. The Government and the Department of Health are trying to secure basic rights for the people in that community. After that, consultations will be held with them on the other issues that need to be addressed, one of which is the matter to which the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt) referred.