Fury over NHS gender survey for 10-year-olds
minister, said the “deeply worrying”.
He said: “At a time when children are growing up and having to deal with all sorts of challenges of the modern world, now they are being asked to confront their gender, which for many will be unsettling.”
Fellow Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg added: “The problem with this approach is not just with the question but with the intrusive survey.
“It invades people’s privacy and assumes the state has a role in a matter that actually belongs within questions were DEBBIE McGee trekked through the snowy streets on the way to rehearsals yesterday as it was announced all four Strictly Come Dancing couples stay in contention until a final public vote in this weekend’s Grand Final. With the new format meaning no elimination during the BBC One showdown, all finalists perform a judges’ pick, a showdance and a favourite dance. A public vote will decide the winner. The other finalists are actress Gemma Atkinson, actor Joe McFadden and singer Alexandra Burke. the family. These questions are not likely to be helpful. The child is too young – if they have these sorts of issues, the parents are the right ones to discuss it with.”
Campaigner Stephanie DaviesArai, an expert on child communication skills and founder of the Transgender Trend website, said: “It’s not a question that is for the benefit of the children. It’s a political question to be ‘trans inclusive’.
“The NHS should know better. You are putting a question to children which is a leading question. It will clearly raise the question in children’s heads.”
Lyndsey Simpson, from Leyland, Lancs, said her 10-year-old daughter was in “quite a state” after bringing home a letter about the questionnaire from her Church of England school. She said: “I don’t want someone putting into my daughter’s head that she might not be happy with her own gender. It’s one thing if they feel that way already, but if they don’t, then do you want them to be unhappy for their whole lives?”
Parents were given a letter to sign if they did not want their child to participate.
Mrs Simpson, who has written to her MP over the issue, said the headteacher of the school had been “very supportive” after the form was brought to his attention.
The NHS does not offer gender reassignment surgery to people under the age of 18. But 50 children a week – some of them as young as four – are being sent to gender reassignment doctors.