Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Recommendation 6 on page 35 of the Cass Review, published in April 2024, what plans he has for the extent of a further clinical trial on puberty blockers; and what his planned timetable is for this.

The expert Cass Review, which is one of the most comprehensive reviews of gender identity services for children and young people to date, states that the rationale for early puberty suppressing hormones to treat gender dysphoria is unclear and the effects on cognitive and psychosexual development are unknown. This is why NHS England and the National Institute of Health and Care Research, the research arm of the department, are working together to commission a study into the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones as a treatment option for children and young people with gender incongruence. The study team is now in place and are finalising their application for funding which will be assessed by an independent scientific review study ahead of the commencement of wider approvals, including ethics, and set up.