Mick Hartley

So many organisations have delayed following the law about women-only spaces by saying they were waiting for guidance. Well, now they're getting it:

Schools, hospitals, leisure centres and cinemas will be told to ban trans women from using single-sex spaces including lavatories and changing rooms under equalities guidance to be submitted to ministers this month.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is understood to have rejected demands from campaigners to water down rules that would restrict the ability of trans people to access services of their chosen gender.

The statutory guidance will spell out that transgender competitors can be excluded from single-sex sporting competitions and that it would be reasonable for a woman to object to the presence of a transgender woman if she will be getting undressed or in a vulnerable situation.

The guidance applies to any organisation that provides services to the public.

Clear enough?

Shops and gyms will be included in its scope but the guidance also extends to government departments, the NHS and prisons. It covers private organisations or charities if they are providing a public service, for example a private care home providing care on behalf of a council.

The EHRC will submit its updated guidance to Bridget Phillipson, the women and equalities minister, before the end of the month. It is believed Phillipson will approve the guidance as long as it is in line with the law. It will then be laid before parliament.