Read on Twitter
In pre-plague times (Sept 19), Scot Gov's Chief Statistician started a working group on the use of the terms "sex" and "gender" by the gov and public bodies.
Excellent work, you'd think, in these toxic and confusing times of #NoDebate 1/ https://blogs.gov.scot/statistics/2019/09/20/working-group-on-data-about-a-persons-sex-and-gender/
Excellent work, you'd think, in these toxic and confusing times of #NoDebate 1/ https://blogs.gov.scot/statistics/2019/09/20/working-group-on-data-about-a-persons-sex-and-gender/
Mr Halliday even held some public consultation events, one of which I attended. I can confirm that opinion was very much for including "sex" AND "gender" since they have different meanings and have different benefits to data analysts looking at provision for future services 2/
or support for particular groups, etc. As a result, in Dec 20 draft guidance on how the two terms were to be used was released for comment and he has asked for feedback : 3/ https://blogs.gov.scot/statistics/2020/12/10/working-group-on-sex-and-gender-in-data-december-update/
We were all rather taken aback to see that he recommended that sex should not be collected or used on forms unless "except potentially where there is direct relevance to a person’s medical treatment”. This was covered in the Times last week: 4/
https://archive.vn/TODAq4/
https://archive.vn/TODAq4/
During the public consultations issues such as crime statistics & provisions for schools & support for abuse/rape shelters were all discussed as areas where sex disaggregated data needs to be collected & analysed. None of which are covered by the draft guidance 5/
So, what should we do with the proposals to send sex up the Swannee? We need to tell Mr Halliday why this is a very silly idea indeed. Very silly. To help you understand why, here are @MBM & their consultation response, like a trio of cool uber-nerds 6/ https://twitter.com/mbmpolicy/status/1353366629330153472?s=20
To help place the Chief Statistician's guidance in a wider context, you need to know about the census. The last English & Welsh census & the Scottish census guidance had a "wot's your sex?" question but the accompanying guidance suggested you didn't need to put your birth sex 7/
It said you could use a self-defined sex if you wanted, basically your gender, gender identity or whatever algorithm you use to define yourself. Not great if you need to work out what the ovarian or testicular cancer provision needs to be for the next 10 years. 8/
There's a battle going on to correct this, this time, with a birth sex & a gender question. And it looks like England & Wales have finally seen sense :- 9/ https://archive.vn/sUSJa
Sadly, I can report that Scotland's yet to see sense & while our census is delayed a year because of the plague, the window to change this unscientific codswallop is closing. So, even more reason for us to tell Mr Halliday why collection of data that can be sex-disaggregated 10/
is so important. Just send an email ([email protected]). Preferably with examples of how you use sex-segregated data in your work, or why you think it's important. Deadline 
12th FEBRUARY 11/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/sex-and-gender-in-data-working-group---collecting-data-on-sex-and-gender-draft-guidance-for-feedback/
12th FEBRUARY 11/https://www.gov.scot/publications/sex-and-gender-in-data-working-group---collecting-data-on-sex-and-gender-draft-guidance-for-feedback/
Thank you (and do please follow @mbmpolicy, they are quite brilliant and are keeping Westminster and Holyrood on their toes right now and NO ONE PAYS THEM TO DO IT!) 
