Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government plans to take to make gay conversion therapy illegal; and if she will make a statement.

This Government is clear that so-called conversion or reparative therapies are wrong. Being LGBT is not an illness, and LGBT people do not need to be “cured”.

On 3 July 2018, the Government published the results from last year’s national LGBT survey. We were shocked to find that 2% of respondents to the survey had undertaken conversion therapy, and a further 5% had been offered it.

These practices have no place in our society, and we are committed to ending these activities. We have now published an LGBT Action Plan responding to the findings from the national survey.

As part of the action plan, we have committed to exploring all legislative and non-legislative options to end this abhorrent practice. We will bring forward proposals to prevent promoting, offering or practicing these heinous acts.