Equality and Human Rights Commission: Code of Practice

Baroness Ludford Excerpts

Monday 19th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Strasburger]

To ask His Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice on single-sex spaces.

[Baroness Ludford (LD)]

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Strasburger, and at his request, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.

[The Minister of State, Office for Equality and Opportunity (Baroness Smith of Malvern) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations provides guidance on all protected characteristics, not solely sex and gender reassignment. The Government are considering the draft updated code, and if the decision is made to approve it, the Secretary of State will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have 40 days to consider the draft code. It is important that the correct process for considering the code is followed to ensure that the Secretary of State can make an informed decision.

[Baroness Ludford (LD)]

My Lords, the Education Secretary—the Minister, supposedly, for Women—has run out of road, with her procrastination, excuses and flannelling the object of ridicule. Organisations are using the Government’s refusal to lay the guidance as a pretext to stick with the Stonewall law, which has been wrong for a decade. This means that women encounter situations which compromise their safety, privacy and dignity in changing rooms, toilets and leisure centres, because these are not guaranteed to be single-sex. Why are the Government continuing to fail women and defy the rule of law?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

My Lords, the Secretary of State for Education and the current Minister for Women has a proud and lifelong record of representing women. She also understands that in order to be able to do that, we need a code of practice that is both clear and legally defensible. I would have thought that anybody with women’s best interests at heart would agree with that.