Relationship Education in Schools Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Relationship Education in Schools

Carla Lockhart Excerpts
Tuesday 1st April 2025

(3 days ago)

Westminster Hall
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Carla Lockhart Portrait Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)
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I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for bringing this debate forward, although she and I will differ on some of the gender ideology.

I believe that when the Government introduce the RSHE regulations they need to be Cass-compliant. Dr Hilary Cass pointed out in her review that the importance of what happens in schools cannot be overestimated. Some schools have been guilty of engaging in the potentially dangerous process of socially transitioning children. They go along with the child’s wish to identify as a sex other than their birth sex. I encourage the Government, when introducing the regulations, to take up the helpful recommendation that schools should not teach about the broader concept of gender identity. Above all, they should take on board parental input and also school ethos; schools with a Christian ethos should be able to uphold that ethos when teaching relationship education.

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)
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I thank the hon. Lady and all Members for their co-operation. We now move on to the Front-Bench speeches, beginning with the Liberal Democrats spokesperson.