Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the decision by Transport for London to stop using the term “ladies and gentlemen” for public announcements, whether they have issued guidance to local authorities and other public bodies on appropriate forms of address for members of the public; if so, what form that guidance takes and whether it has been, or will be, published; whether any such guidance specifically refers to the use of the term “ladies and gentlemen”; and if so, whether public bodies are encouraged to avoid the use of that term.
Answered on
25 July 2017
It important that our public services reflect the language used by everyone.
The Government has issued no guidance for local authorities or other public bodies on this issue but we would encourage everyone to think about how they can tailor services to be as inclusive as possible.