Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to protect single-sex spaces in prisons.

Our prisons are either men’s prisons or women’s prisons. It is our priority to ensure that all prisoners are kept safe and treated fairly, lawfully and decently, with their rights properly respected. This includes respecting transgender individuals and addressing their needs in accordance with the gender with which they identify, regardless of where they are held.

In some cases, transgender individuals can be held in the opposite side of the estate to their legal gender. This approach must be agreed at a Complex Case Board, chaired by a senior prison manager. Such decisions can only be taken following a full assessment of all known risks posed both to, and from, the individual.

Guidance for staff in relation to the care and management of transgender individuals is provided in the following policy framework:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-care-and-management-of-individuals-who-are-transgender