Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children are due to participate in puberty blocker trials in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

The PATHWAYS clinical trial of puberty-suppressing hormones expects to include 226 participants, a number which is not broken down geographically. As announced on 20 February 2026, the preliminary work in establishing the PATHWAYS clinical trial has been paused, following new concerns raised by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In the meantime, the trial will not start recruiting until issues raised by the MHRA have been resolved between the regulator and the trial clinicians.