Department for Culture, Media and Sport written question – answered at on 5 March 2026.
Claire Coutinho
Shadow Minister (Equalities), Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) her Department and (b) the arms length bodies sponsored by her Department are compliant with the Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025].
Ian Murray
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
We have set out our expectation that all duty bearers, including Departments and their arm’s-length bodies, follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling and seek specialist legal advice where necessary. The Prime Minister has underlined this recently.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted a draft Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations to Ministers, and we are reviewing it with the care it deserves. This will provide further guidance to duty bearers.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
