The European Commission will deliver guidance on the gender discrimination ruling by the end of the year, says the director general of the Government Equalities Office.

Jonathan Rees said he was not expecting a ‘550 page document’, but enough to clear up some of the outstanding issues that insurers still had.

The Government is concerned that the original judgement is very short and there needs to be more detail for the industry.

Speaking at the ABI's Biennial Conference in London today, Rees said: “There will be guidance before the end of the year in the judgement going forward and then we in the government will need to amend the 2003 Equality Act.”

The European Court of Justice ruled earlier this year gender must be banned as a criteria used by underwriters. The judgement is due to come in 2013.