Finally, Swinney listens to medics’ fears over conversion therapy ban
JOHN Swinney has admitted that concerns over the potential criminalisation of clinicians under the Scottish Government’s conversion therapy ban must be ‘carefully’ listened to.
The controversial legislation will go ahead but ministers will ‘reflect’ on issues raised by the author of the Cass Review, the First Minister confirmed yesterday.
He said the government will explore how the conclusions of the review into child gender services sit with its proing posed ban on conversion therapy.
In her review of gender identity services for children and young people, Dr Hilary Cass raised concerns that some mental health practitioners were ‘anxious’ that offering support to someone questioning their gender identity could be criminalised under the new law.
Mr Swinney was accused of tying himself in knots yesterday as he described a woman as ‘an adult female born as a woman’ but then insisted that transgender women are defined as women as well.
Scotland’s chief medical officer Sir Gregor Smith is overseeing a multi-disciplinary team assessing what Dr Cass’s report means for Scotland’s health services but SNP ministers have so far failed to commit to implementing her recommendations in full.
Speaking on BBC Good Mornsion Scotland yesterday, Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government was ‘looking carefully’ at the Cass report.
Asked if there can be a ban on conversion therapy while addressing concerns about prosecution of professionals offering talking therapies, Mr Swinney said: ‘I think that’s one of the questions that has to be explored, and I think Dr Cass made a very fair point in that respect.
‘And I think in all aspects of the work that we undertake in relation to these questions and other questions where clinicians are involved, we want clinicians to be able to give the best support to patients, so we have to listen to clinical opinion very carefully.
‘Now we’ve consulted on the conversion therapy Bill, the government remains committed to bringing that forward.
‘But we are obviously reflecting on the consultation responses that came in in early April and also on the contents of the Cass Review, because it does raise a very significant issue that you put to me about, essentially, the relationship between the proviof advice and the position that clinicians would face should they offer that advice.’
During an appearance at Holyrood’s health committee, Dr Cass highlighted fears that mental health professionals offering support to patients could be prosecuted under the new law.
Asked about concerns that SNP government policies threaten the rights and safety of women, Mr Swinney said: ‘I will do nothing to threaten the safety of women and girls.’
However, Susan Dalgety, a women’s rights campaigner, said Mr Swinney was ‘wallowing in fudge’ on the issue.
She said: ‘He doesn’t have the courage to state sex is real and binary. Trans women are male adult humans who “believe” – for whatever reason – they are female. They are not.’
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said that Mr Swinney should be ‘following the science rather than gender dogma’.
‘Wallowing in fudge’