PLANS that would bar transgender women from single sex spaces are being held up over cost reasons.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is demanding the equalities watchdog establish how much the move could hurt businesses financially before releasing new guidance.
The Equality and Human Rights Committee submitted guidance back in April on how organisations should interpret a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.
The regulator is insisting there should be no requirement on fulfilling the task as the new guidance doesn’t create new obligations.
The ECHR is now pressing on with a “proportionate” assessment of costs to help get the new proposals published, it was reported.
Until the plans are set out, councils, the NHS and businesses are still allowing trans women who are biologically male to use single-sex spaces, The Times said.
Ms Phillipson said this week that Ministers “did require certain additional information” from the body which had “unfortunately slowed the process”.
She added: “I hope we can make progress, because I know that people want that clarity, but actually the ruling from the Supreme Court was also very clear.”
A government spokesman said: “The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted a draft code of practice to ministers, and we are working at pace to review it with the care it deserves.
“This is a 300-page long and legally complex document and it is important for service providers that we get this right.
“We will continue to work with the EHRC to make sure we get this right.”
