by Cameron Henderson, Telegraph
(Image: Unsplash)
Former health minister raises ‘serious concerns’ that draft bill places parents at risk of prosecution
Andy Burnham is facing a backlash from Labour MPs over the party’s proposed ban on conversion therapy.
A former Labour health minister has raised “serious concerns” about the draft Conversion Practices Bill, claiming that it places parents at risk of prosecution.
Under the draft laws, people face five years in jail for pressuring someone to change their sexuality or gender identity.
Preet Kaur Gill, the MP for Edgbaston, who served as under-secretary of state for health and social care from May to July this year, told The Telegraph: “Nobody should ever be subjected to abuse because of their LGBT identity. The intentions of the bill – seeking to protect vulnerable people – are laudable.
“Yet there are serious concerns about the draft text that undermine what has become clear in recent research about the vulnerability of children exploring gender ideology.”
She added: “As the Cass Review advised, parents and guardians must have freedom to take a cautious approach when navigating sensitive topics with their children. The evidence shows that devices such as chest-binders or puberty blockers can cause long-term bodily damage.
“But by criminalising words that amount to ‘economic’ and ‘emotional pressure’, the bill could undermine this advice from Cass, and ensnare parents who simply want to properly examine the risks involved with early ‘transition’, and where appropriate, advise against rushing into the use of such serious interventions.
“It would be wrong if a bill created to protect vulnerable people would overreach into potentially causing unnecessary censorship of important and loving conversations within families.”
Ms Gill, a former social worker, also said the bill amounted to “censorship” and risked undermining the findings of the 2024 Cass Review.