Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities on the impact of the draft Conversion Practices Bill on the wider justice system.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Office for Equalities and Opportunities is working with the Ministry of Justice on the Justice Impact Test to estimate the economic impacts on the justice system. They will continue to update the Economic Impact Assessment after pre-legislative scrutiny concludes and in the light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether a teacher declining to support a pupil's social transition will fall within the definition of an abusive conversion practice in the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The draft Bill will not prevent parents from making choices on how to raise their children. Furthermore, it will not criminalise individuals, including teachers and other safeguarding professionals, for simply expressing views and beliefs or having explanatory conversations. Schools should act in line with government guidance as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.
We are preventing a very specific, severe form of abuse. Conversion practices captured by the legislation are abusive acts that intend to change a person's sexual orientation or transgender identity and which cause serious harm. Acts will not be criminalised unless they meet the high thresholds set out in the draft Bill.
The draft Bill is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome this opportunity to make sure a ban is effective.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether a parent declining to support their child's gender transition will fall within the definition of an abusive conversion practice in the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The draft Bill will not prevent parents from making choices on how to raise their children. Furthermore, it will not criminalise individuals, including teachers and other safeguarding professionals, for simply expressing views and beliefs or having explanatory conversations. Schools should act in line with government guidance as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.
We are preventing a very specific, severe form of abuse. Conversion practices captured by the legislation are abusive acts that intend to change a person's sexual orientation or transgender identity and which cause serious harm. Acts will not be criminalised unless they meet the high thresholds set out in the draft Bill.
The draft Bill is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome this opportunity to make sure a ban is effective.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the draft Conversion Practices Bill on the number of (a) public and (b) private law proceedings in the family court.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Conversion Practices Bill is a commitment in the Government's manifesto. The Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill on 25 June for pre-legislative scrutiny. This followed regular engagement with the Ministry of Justice and other government departments, which will continue as the draft Bill undergoes the pre-legislative process.
Impact assessments published alongside the draft Bill can be found on gov.uk and will continue to be updated after pre-legislative scrutiny concludes and in the light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the legal aid budget of family proceedings arising from the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Conversion Practices Bill is a commitment in the Government's manifesto. The Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill on 25 June for pre-legislative scrutiny. This followed regular engagement with the Ministry of Justice and other government departments, which will continue as the draft Bill undergoes the pre-legislative process.
Impact assessments published alongside the draft Bill can be found on gov.uk and will continue to be updated after pre-legislative scrutiny concludes and in the light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has received representations from local authorities on the potential cost of the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s draft final stage Economic Impact Assessment was published alongside the draft Conversion Practices Bill and sets out estimated public and private sector costs.
Officials will continue to update the Economic Impact Assessment following pre-legislative scrutiny and in light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes. We will also continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including other departments and public sector organisations, on the draft Conversion Practices Bill as it continues to take shape through the pre-legislative scrutiny process.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of local authorities to take on new functions under the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s draft final stage Economic Impact Assessment was published alongside the draft Conversion Practices Bill and sets out estimated public and private sector costs.
Officials will continue to update the Economic Impact Assessment following pre-legislative scrutiny and in light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes. We will also continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including other departments and public sector organisations, on the draft Conversion Practices Bill as it continues to take shape through the pre-legislative scrutiny process.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department was consulted on the potential cost to local authorities of the draft Conversion Practices Bill prior to its publication.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s draft final stage Economic Impact Assessment was published alongside the draft Conversion Practices Bill and sets out estimated public and private sector costs.
Officials will continue to update the Economic Impact Assessment following pre-legislative scrutiny and in light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes. We will also continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including other departments and public sector organisations, on the draft Conversion Practices Bill as it continues to take shape through the pre-legislative scrutiny process.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the article in The Independent on 18 October 2026, (a) what definition she uses of the phrase "living as their true self" and (b) if she will list examples of conduct that would prevent a person from doing so for the purposes of the draft Conversion Practices Bill.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the draft Bill, criminalised conduct refers specifically to abusive acts intended to change a person's sexual orientation or transgender identity that result in serious harm or distress. As set out in the legislation, this may be conduct of a violent, threatening or sexual nature, coercion or which deploys economic, emotional or psychological pressure.
The draft Bill is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome the opportunity to make sure a ban is effective.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the Draft Conversion Practices Bill on (a) the workload and (b) the costs of local authorities, including in relation to applications for Conversion Practice Protection Orders.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s draft final stage Economic Impact Assessment was published alongside the draft Conversion Practices Bill and sets out estimated public and private sector costs.
Officials will continue to update the Economic Impact Assessment following pre-legislative scrutiny and in light of new evidence and analysis, as is usual in all policy processes. We will also continue to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including other departments and public sector organisations, on the draft Conversion Practices Bill as it continues to take shape through the pre-legislative scrutiny process.