Munday stressed that it was for individual sports to form their own transgender policies and review their stance as new evidence emerges but highlighted the importance of inclusivity.

“Where possible, what we were really encouraging is sports to be creative, flexible and accommodating in their approaches so they could develop really meaningful inclusion polices that consider the needs of all people and all groups,” she said. 

“What we have seen over the last two weeks is a sport grappling with the reality of this situation as it enters to the top level of domestic sport and how it might impact in terms of international sport.

“Whilst trans has been around for a long time, elite athlete trans has not been around in volume for a long time, so for a lot of sports this is new territory. What is really important is that we make sure as a sporting industry we are inclusive, that we are welcoming, that we enable everyone who wants to play sport to play sport.

“Where inclusion bumps up against fairness and safety, it’s down for an individual sport to consider and make the decisions that are most appropriate for that sport.”

Of the call for a review of the UCI guidance, which has been criticised for failing to sufficiently consider fairness and potential strength advantages even after hormone therapy, Munday said: “We ask the questions of any sport: ‘Have you been through an appropriate process to reach your policy?’ Our view would be that if British Cycling feel that they have different information and evidence available to them from when they made their policy, then yes it is appropriate for them to look at that policy again.”

Munday’s comments came as UK Sport launched a new independent disclosure and complaints service, which will be oversee by Sport Resolutions, and free of charge to governing bodies.

It follows accusations of bullying across a number of Olympic sports. UK Sport denied that it was being launched pre-emptively ahead of the Whyte Review, which will be published at the end of May and investigate allegations of mistreatment in gymnastics and a failure to deal appropriately with complaints. The new service, however, is not mandatory for national governing bodies to sign up to.

Ed Miliband, the former Labour Party leader and a member of the shadow cabinet, also argued for a sport-by-sport approach rather than a blanket ban.

“I think it is different for different sports,” he said. “I don’t think you should have a blanket ban. I understand the strong feelings there were in the cycling case and I think the sporting bodies eventually got to the right decision. The principle is we do need fairness and I think that is a decision for the governing bodies.”