Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Wednesday 23 September 2020 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister praised Alicia Kearns for her work on ending LGBT conversion therapy and confirmed ongoing research to combat the practice.
  • Government plans to reduce waiting lists for gender services by 1600 people and open three new gender clinics.
  • Minister agrees with Marsha de Cordova that early marriage disadvantages girls economically and endorses the importance of education.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alicia Kearns Con Rutland and Stamford
Women & Equalities
Context

The government has been criticized for its handling of transgender issues, including the Gender Recognition Act. The MP wants to bring forward legislation against LGBT conversion therapy.

Question

I am grateful to my right hon Friend, as well as to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Prime Minister, for giving backing to my campaign to end the abhorrent practice of so-called LGBT conversion therapy. Will my right hon Friend kindly update the House on when she hopes to bring forward this vital legislation?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

I congratulate my hon Friend on her leadership on this issue and her work to support women when they are giving birth. Conversion therapy is an abhorrent practice and we are currently conducting research, which I hope will be finished by the end of this month, on how to end it in the United Kingdom. Shortly after that, we will set out steps to end it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify a date or timeline for bringing forward legislation against LGBT conversion therapy

How: Under Review, Conducting Research

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Q2 Alicia Kearns Con Rutland and Stamford
Women & Equalities
Context

The government has published its response to reform the Gender Recognition Act, which was criticized as inadequate by many. The MP is seeking clarification on new gender clinics and reduction of waiting lists.

Question

Yesterday, after nearly three years, the Government finally published their response on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004; disgracefully, they have let the trans community down. The written statement said that the Government are opening at least three new gender clinics this year. Will the Minister clarify whether the mention of those three clinics was a reference to the pilot services committed to by the previous Government in 2018, or represent a new investment by this Government to improve trans healthcare?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

In line with the priorities of the transgender community, we are seeking to reduce waiting lists in the health service by 1600 people, as well as to improve access to services, with three new gender-identity clinics. We also want to make sure that proper training is available to general practitioners so that we get better services on the frontline.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not clarify if new gender clinics are related to previous commitments or represent new investments by this government

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Q3 Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea
NHS Women & Equalities
Context

The average waiting time for NHS gender services is 18 months, but the NHS constitution states that first appointments should be within 18 weeks. The government has committed to reducing waiting lists by 2022.

Question

I did not get an answer to my first question, but I will try this one. The average waiting time for NHS gender services is 18 months, yet the NHS constitution says that the first appointment should be within 18 weeks. The Government have rightly committed to reducing waiting lists by 1600 people by 2022, but that will still leave an estimated 10000 trans people on the list. Will the Minister set out what steps the Government are going to take to bring the waiting lists down, to ensure that trans people can access healthcare within the time set out in the legal framework?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

The hon Lady is right that it is a priority to bring down waiting lists and make sure that transgender people get the healthcare that they deserve. That is why the Government Equalities Office has put in extra funding to support Dr Michael Brady as our LGBT health adviser. We are working closely with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the NHS to make sure that those services are in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or timeline to reduce waiting lists within constitution's timeframe

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Q4 Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea
Women & Equalities Children & Families
Context

Forced child marriages prevent girls from completing their education, leading to long-term economic disadvantages.

Question

Does the Minister agree that if girls aged between 16 and 18 are persuaded to be married instead of continuing their education, they are likely to be disadvantaged for the rest of their life and less economically active than those who complete an education until at least 18?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

I absolutely agree with my hon Friend: education is important and it is obviously wrong when girls get married at an early age against their will. My hon Friend has done a lot of work to raise these issues, and the Government are listening carefully to the debate on the legal age of marriage and continue to keep it under review.

Answered
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Q5 Pauline Latham Con
NHS Women & Equalities
Context

A recent report found that women face difficulties accessing contraception due to budget cuts and complex commissioning arrangements.

Question

The recent report by the all-party group on sexual and reproductive health in the UK found that women are increasingly having difficulty accessing contraception because of cuts to budgets and complex commissioning arrangements. The past president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, has pointed out that Viagra was made available to men over the counter and without a prescription within a year of being licensed, but the safe progestogen-only pill has been licensed for more than 60 years and we still do not trust women to get it over the counter at the chemist. What is the Minister going to do about this blatant discrimination against women?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

I thank the hon Lady for her question. I will take the issue up with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Not addressed: Did not provide any substantive information or commitment about actions to improve access to contraception

How: Will Take Up With

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Q6 Diana R. Johnson Lab Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Agriculture & Rural Affairs Women & Equalities
Context

The Gay Farmer Helpline has highlighted high suicide rates among gay farmers due to isolation and the challenges of being openly LGBT in the farming community.

Question

Being gay in the farming community is incredibly hard, not least because of isolation. The Gay Farmer Helpline plays a vital support role, but has highlighted a high suicide rate. What is the Minister doing to support gay farmers, and will she meet me and representatives of the helpline to see what else we can do? [R]

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Farming is a vital industry in Britain, and I want all farmers to feel supported. I applaud the work of groups such as Agrespect in supporting LGBT farmers to thrive. I would be delighted to meet my hon Friend and his colleagues to discuss what more we can do.

Answered
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