7. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: Conversion Therapy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:56 pm on 26 April 2022.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 4:56, 26 April 2022

Can I start by welcoming Altaf Hussain back? It's the first time that I have had the opportunity to welcome you back into this Chamber and to see you here, looking so well. I welcome your words of support and the recognition that no-one should be ashamed to be who they are and should be forced to change who they are. 

I very much regret the tone that you then took about accusing us of playing party politics. This isn't about party politics or politics of any kind. [Interruption.] Don't laugh. This is about people's lives. This is about people's lives, this is about doing the right thing, and doing everything that we can to support and protect people who are members of the LGBTQ+ community in communities right across Wales. I completely reject that accusation, and I think that it is in particularly bad taste.

You asked why we are just signing a memorandum of understanding on conversion therapy. Well, if you listened to the statement today, that's not what we are doing. I very much come across these things as an activist by nature, by background. While we are actually setting the wheels in motion to determine what we can do, how we take that ban forward and make sure that we get it right, and examine the other levers that we might need to be able to do everything that we want to do, we will take the steps that we can take now—such as the MOU and such as how we actually work with communities to raise awareness over this abhorrent practice, but also how we can appraise the support services available. 

I will just say in closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, that I very much welcome the Welsh Conservatives' support for a ban on LGBT conversion therapy, and if we get to the point where we do need to call for further powers to be devolved to Wales, you are very welcome to join us in that call.