Gillian Keegan has not met any LGBT+ groups to discuss the government鈥檚 planned transgender guidance, despite claiming that delays to its release would allow her to consult stakeholders. Schools minister Nick Gibb made the admission after Labour MP Nadia Whittome asked how many of the organisations the education secretary had spoken to about the planned guidance over the last year. Keegan stated in July that the publication of the long-awaited advice had been pushed back to give the government 鈥渕ore time鈥 to 鈥渟peak to teachers, parents, lawyers and other stakeholders鈥. She stressed that the move would ensure the advice issued to schools and colleges 鈥渕eets the high expectations that these groups rightly have for it鈥. Transgender guidance ‘created in vacuum’ Nick Gibb In his response to Whittome, Gibb said the 鈥渟ecretary of state has not met any LGBT organisations directly to discuss鈥 it, but added ministers are 鈥渒een to consider the full range of views鈥. The DfE will undertake 鈥渁 public consultation on the draft guidance prior to publication鈥, he added. 鈥淒uring the consultation period, the department plans to engage with a range of interested organisations, including organisations that support the LGBT community.鈥 But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the school leaders鈥 union ASCL, accused the department for education of developing the guidance 鈥渋n a vacuum鈥. Keegan: ‘More information needed’ Academies minister Baroness Barran has said guidance will set out schools鈥 legal duties and provide 鈥渃lear information to support their consideration of how to respond to transgender issues鈥. Speaking about it at the Conservative party conference today, she confirmed the document, which she described as “one of the most sensitive things that I think any of us have ever been involved in”, is “nearly there”. Barran stressed she “absolutely hear[s] the real need to deliver it and deliver it quickly”, but added: “We are trying to push to be as practical and constructive as possible while sensitive to what is probably one of the most difficult issues that has to be dealt with in school.” The guidance was scheduled to be published before the summer break. But national newspapers reported that . Keegan insisted at the time that more information was “needed about the long-term implications of a child to act as though they are the opposite sex鈥. 鈥淲e also need to take care to understand how such actions affect other children in the school or college. These decisions must not be taken lightly or in haste,鈥 she said. ‘Schools urgently need transgender guidance’ 鈥淲e have made the decision to allow more time 鈥 to speak to teachers, parents, lawyers and other stakeholders 鈥 in order to ensure this guidance meets the high expectations that these groups rightly have for it.鈥 Geoff Barton National Association of Headteachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said leaders have been 鈥減romised this guidance for several years now鈥. The union leader stated that it is 鈥渦rgently needed by schools who are currently being left to navigate complex and sensitive issues in isolation, without support or training鈥. Rye College faced a snap Ofsted inspection after a national media and political storm over a leaked recording of a teacher talking to pupils about gender. Barton added that he is concerned 鈥渢here has been so little dialogue鈥 up to this point. 鈥淎s far as we can see the transgender guidance is being developed in a vacuum without any reference to LGBT groups or other stakeholders, including the schools and colleges which would be required to implement it.鈥