Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned, if any, to assess whether peer-group clustering occurs in gender clinics, in particular among adolescent girls; and what clinical protocols are in place to assess the influence of social factors in referrals to gender services.

The new, regional children and young people (CYP) services provide holistic care, centred on psychosocial support. This will include thorough mental health support that takes account of the child and young person's individual circumstances, including social factors.

More widely, the Independent Cass Review published in 2024, of which the new National Health Service CYP Gender Services are based, sets out the role social factors, including the role of social media and family mental health problems have in CYP experiencing gender dysphoria.