Copy of the Joint Statement
DCMS and DSIT have jointly agreed to issue the following statement, signed by their respective Permanent Secretaries, Susannah Storey CB and Sarah Munby:
We are committed to fostering a tolerant and respectful working culture. As such, our departments are working together to introduce a revised Gender Reassignment policy, informed by a new central model policy which we anticipate will be available by the end of the year. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, the revised policy will balance the rights of staff with different protected characteristics, including but not limited to gender reassignment, religion and belief, and sex. It will also build on the work both our departments have been doing in consultation with our staff in recent years.
We are committed to upholding our duty of impartiality, in line with the recently issued non-partisan Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, and the principles of the Civil Service code. The code is clear that we “must carry out our responsibilities in a way that is fair, just, equitable and reflects the Civil Service commitment to equality, and that we must not act in a way that unjustifiably favours or discriminates against particular individuals or interests”.
A well-functioning Civil Service is one that allows its civil servants to safely hold, voice, discuss or challenge any lawful perspective, without fear or favour. We will ensure we have a safe and open dialogue with all our staff, and we are grateful to those staff who have aided the drafting of this updated policy.
December 2024