MP quizzes May over sex-change drugs for children
AWELSH Conservative MP has raised with Theresa May his concerns about children as young as 12 being prescribed sex-change drugs.
In Prime Minister’s Questions, David Davies said: “In my own constituency of Monmouth, children as young as 12 have been labelled as transgender and prescribed potentially life-altering sex-change drugs. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the law needs to be tightened to prevent the potential mistreatment of vulnerable young people?”
Mrs May responded: “My honourable friend raises what is obviously a very sensitive issue, and as he will be aware obviously health is a devolved matter in Wales. In England, the NHS’s basic guidelines regarding the prescription of these sorts of medications to young people [say] they can only be prescribed with the agreement of a specialist team after a careful assessment of the individual and generally only for those patients who are 15 or older.
“I recognise the concern that my honourable friend has raised.”
Afterwards, Mr Davies said he had been referring to the widely publicised case of Abergavenny GP Helen Webberley, who set up a private clinic to prescribe sex-change hormones to children as young as 12.
The General Medical Council is investigating Dr Webberley after receiving complaints from two NHS consultants. It has imposed an order which prevents her from treating transgender patients while unsupervised.
Mr Davies said: “I am deeply concerned about very young people being given powerful ‘puberty-blocker’ drugs and think the law should be changed. I have absolutely nothing against transgender people, and believe they should be given every help to live fulfilling lives.
“But I think there is something wrong when children who are too young to have sex legally are allowed to be prescribed gender-changing drugs, when there is a possibility that they might later regret it.”
The MP said he was also unhappy there were moves to give individuals the right to selfselect their own legal gender.
He said: “I understand that around 75% of people who identify as transgender still have their original sex organs, even though they live as if they were members of the opposite sex. Some feminist and equality groups share my concern that, for example, people with male genitalia will be able to register as female and gain access to women’s prisons, changing rooms and toilets. That would make many women feel uncomfortable. There needs to be a pause before new legislation along these lines is introduced.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We absolutely agree the decision to prescribe treatment to any patient must involve careful consideration of the balance of all potential benefits and harms.
“The long-term effects of cross sex hormone therapy are not well known and so such treatments in children and young people must be considered especially carefully. Doctors should be aware the General Medical Council has issued guidance on this matter: this is for all doctors across the UK.”