Weekly Round-Up

Government update on 'conversion therapy' ban, Biden wades in, Scottish leadership election heats up, and Norway distances itself from gender ideology

Hello everyone,

Here are some of the biggest news stories to emerge over the last week.

As always, please reach out with any stories you have come across.

Take care,

James

1.     Government update on ‘conversion therapy’ ban

Although it has gone relatively quiet on this front over the past few months, it has become apparent that work has been underway behind the scenes.

On Thursday, Alicia Kearns MP posed a question to Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt MP, about when the ban would be progressed. Kearns has been prominent in pushing for a ban on ‘conversion therapy’ (including for ‘gender identity’) and has partnered closely with Stonewall and others in pursuing this.

Mordaunt responded by saying “we want to end this barbaric and appalling practice”. She advised that the government will bring an early-draft bill for ‘pre-legislative scrutiny’ before a joint committee of parliamentarians during this parliamentary session, with a view to formally bringing a bill forward sometime in the Autumn.

This pre-legislative scrutiny is a crucial safeguard for what many of us fear will be poorly worded and misguided legislation, which could bring about significant unintended consequences for those struggling with gender dysphoria and the clinicians responsible for their treatment.

The committee will be able to take evidence from interested individuals and organisations before examining the text of the draft bill in detail. They will then produce a report, setting out conclusions and recommendations, which the government will respond to.