Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Frew on 22 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Paul Frew
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 22 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5740851

Text

To prove the point that the Minister has just made, if, as the Bill sponsor says, he maintains that conversion therapy, as it is defined, takes place in a treatment setting, why has he included in clause 4(1)(c) "a treatment, or purported treatment"? He is catching it all. In clause 4:
"a person provides or carries out conversion therapy if the person provides or carries out any of the following— (a) counselling or any form of talking therapy, (b) coaching or instruction"
of any type, and then
"(c) a treatment, or purported treatment."
What he says is the setting of treatment is also in clause 4(1)(c), and it does not include the "coaching or instruction" bit. That is stand-alone and universal, and it will mean any coaching or any instruction.

130 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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