Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England plans to remove the minimum age of referral to specialist gender identity clinics.

On 7 August 2024, NHS England published a new service specification that describes the pathway onto the waiting list for NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review. The service specification does not describe a minimum age, recognising that there may be underlying reasons for children questioning their gender and that accessing mental health and counselling services would be beneficial. Denying parents and children access to professional support risks driving people to unregulated online sources.