Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what data her Department holds on the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who have undergone conversion therapy in (a) the UK, (b) Manchester and (c) Manchester Gorton constituency since 2018.
Answered by Mike Freer
The most recent data currently available about the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who have undergone conversion therapy in the UK is from the National LGBT Survey, published in 2018. Evidence from that shows that 5% of the over 108,000 respondents said they had been offered conversion therapy, and a further 2% said they had received it. This data is not available at a local or constituency level.
In October 2021, we published an evidence assessment and qualitative study on conversion therapy undertaken by Coventry University.
The Government’s recent public consultation on how to ban conversion therapy included a question about people’s experiences of conversion therapy in the UK and abroad and we are currently analysing responses.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will include safeguarding from sexual orientation and gender identity conversion therapy in his Department's guidance entitled Keeping children safe in education.
Answered by Will Quince
The department’s statutory safeguarding guidance 'keeping children safe in education' (KCSIE) contains extensive safeguarding advice which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
It contains extensive advice about all forms of abuse and neglect including the indicators of these harms. KCSIE is clear that all staff should have an awareness of safeguarding issues that can put children at risk of harm. So-called conversion therapy, whilst not explicitly referenced, may well in many instances fall into this category.
Currently so-called conversion therapy is not illegal, though some of the practices will be as they are already considered to be abusive and/or illegal.
KCSIE currently contains guidance on matters such as female genital mutilation and other specific harms that are underpinned by legislation. Once similar legislation is in place for so-called conversion therapy we will consider whether it is necessary and/or appropriate to reflect any changes in KCSIE as we do on a routine and annual basis.
The department has undertaken extensive communications with the sector and continues to consider what more it can do on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) matters such as this.
We are currently consulting on revisions to KCSIE for 2022, in which we have incorporated departmental advice, such as on the issue of sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges. In particular we have reminded schools and colleges of their legal duties with regard to the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. We have also included a new section on how children who are LGBT can be targeted by other children. In some cases, a child who is perceived by other children to be LGBT (whether they are or not) can be just as vulnerable as children who identify as LGBT.
We expect to publish revised guidance for information in May 2022, with it coming into force in September 2022.
The consultation can be found here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-in-schools-team/kcsie-proposed-revisions-2022/.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ban sexual orientation and gender identity conversion practices that take place in healthcare settings as part of legislative proposals on banning conversion therapy.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government is committed to ending conversion therapy and has announced an upcoming ban. The Department for Health and Social Care is working with the Government Equalities Office as their consultation is developed.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the comments of the Prime Minister reported in an article entitled Boris Johnson pledges ban on gay conversion therapy, published by BBC News on 20 July 2020, what plans her Department has to publish the study on conversion therapy undertaken in 2020.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
We have undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. We will consider the findings alongside the responses to the consultation on our conversion therapy proposals that we will launch in September.
Asked by: Holly Mumby-Croft (Conservative - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to make additional mental health support available to people seeking support after experiencing conversion therapy.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
While we have not taken specific steps, access to mental health support is based on clinical need and the support a patient receives, including the type and number of interventions, is based on that need.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives following that organisation's declaration against conversion therapy of December 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government funded the Global Interfaith Commission's (GiC) launch on 16 December where it delivered a declaration calling for an end to violence and criminalisation against LGBT+ people and for a global ban on conversion therapy. We remain in regular dialogue with the Director of the GiC.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their research on conversion therapy practices in the UK has included consultation with (1) religious organisations opposed to a ban, and (2) survivor groups and victims.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Government will ban conversion therapy. The ban will cover both sexual orientation and gender identity. How we ban these practices is a complex issue that we must get right. Officials continue to consult a range of organisations with diverse views. As well as this consultation, officials continue to assess the most up-to-date evidence, including that of the UN’s Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. We have also undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. The Government is working at pace on this issue and will outline its plans shortly.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include bans on attempts to change someone's gender identity with any ban on conversion therapy practices.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Government will ban conversion therapy. The ban will cover both sexual orientation and gender identity. How we ban these practices is a complex issue that we must get right. Officials continue to consult a range of organisations with diverse views. As well as this consultation, officials continue to assess the most up-to-date evidence, including that of the UN’s Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. We have also undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. The Government is working at pace on this issue and will outline its plans shortly.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Curbing deception: a world survey of legal restriction of so-called "conversion therapies", published in 2020, what assessment they have made of its findings, especially its strategies to restrict conversion therapy practices.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Government will ban conversion therapy. The ban will cover both sexual orientation and gender identity. How we ban these practices is a complex issue that we must get right. Officials continue to consult a range of organisations with diverse views. As well as this consultation, officials continue to assess the most up-to-date evidence, including that of the UN’s Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. We have also undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. The Government is working at pace on this issue and will outline its plans shortly.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity Report on Conversion Therapy, published in February 2020, what assessment they have made of its findings; and what plans they have this year to take forward the recommendation to ban conversion therapy.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Government will ban conversion therapy. The ban will cover both sexual orientation and gender identity. How we ban these practices is a complex issue that we must get right. Officials continue to consult a range of organisations with diverse views. As well as this consultation, officials continue to assess the most up-to-date evidence, including that of the UN’s Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. We have also undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. The Government is working at pace on this issue and will outline its plans shortly.