§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department issues on the provision of care for transsexual people. [16384]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department has issued no specific guidance on the provision of care to transsexuals. Like all other services, decisions about whether gender reassignment surgery should be funded under the national health service, are made by individual health authorities, who must take account of the wider picture in terms of local priorities and circumstances when determining how resources are spent. Each case must be decided on its own merits.