On Brighton & Hove Issues Forum, Ed Bassford wrote this recently :

"It's not down to the drafters of legislation to be creative.  They comply

with Section 6 of the Interpretation Act 1978:-



6. Gender and number.



In any Act, unless the contrary intention appears,-

(a)words importing the masculine gender include the feminine;

(b)words importing the feminine gender include the masculine;

(c)words in the singular include the plural and words in the 

plural include

the singular.



There are two specific pieces of law that disapply this 

provision:-

The Sexual Offences Act 1985 and the Employment Act 1989."