Today, (March 1) Conservative MP, and former Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill to the House of Commons which aims to protect trans people from unintended public disclosure of their former names by the Registrar of Companies.
The Bill aims to address an unintended consequence of the interaction between the Companies Act 2006 and the Gender Recognition Act 2004 which means that Companies House refuses to withhold from public inspection details about a Director’s former name even if that would mean that the individual’s transition and personal history was therefore disclosed to anyone searching the Register of Directors.
The 10 Minute Rule Bill is designed to close the loophole by amending the 2004 Act in a way which would allow Companies House to withhold from public inspection information which could “out” a trans person.
John Cope, Vice Chairman of LGBT+ Conservatives, said: “We welcome Conservative MPs’ commitment in parliament to the cause of equal rights. It demonstrates that the modern Conservative Party is the party of equality and opportunity, having delivered same-sex marriage, an anti-homophobic bullying fund, and the Alan Turing Law. These achievements represent a personal commitment from both David Cameron and Theresa May combined with the hard work of Conservative parliamentarians.
“Despite significant strides forward in equal rights in recent years, more still needs to be done to address discrimination against trans and non-binary in particular. The Companies Documentation (Transgender Persons) ten-minute rule bill proposed by Nicky Morgan is a welcome step to ensure trans and non-binary are treated fairly and with respect.”
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