Bishop of Manchester asks about plans to ban conversion therapy in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce legislation which would ban the practice of conversion therapy.

Baroness Barran (Con, Women & Equalities): The Government is taking account of the recently published final report from the independent Cass Review.

As the Cass Review has shown, challenges of legislating in this area are considerable, and there is significant risk of oversimplifying complex and nuanced issues. We cannot risk unintended consequences for parents, teachers, religious leaders or for clinicians providing crucial and legitimate support to young people experiencing gender distress.

Hansard