Mrs. FyffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will use his powers to require the Western general trust hospital, Edinburgh, to continue its previous policy of456W carrying out at least one gender reassignment operation per year or to ensure that an appropriate hospital in the Lothian health board area continues to carry out this work;
(2) what is his policy on the availability and funding of gender reassignment surgery.
§ Mr. StewartIt is a matter for individual health boards to decide whether to purchase gender reassignment services and, if so, what resources to devote to them.
Lothian health board has decided not to purchase gender reassignment routinely from 1 April 1994. However, I understand that the board will enable patients who have already undergone the complex counselling and other preparatory work and are already on a waiting list to proceed to surgery where a commitment has previously been given.