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

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 22 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Paul Givan
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 22 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5741256

Text

I am trying to understand what Mr Tennyson has just said. It says that the exemption for the Department of Health would not apply in respect of any:
"individual registered by, or subject to regulation by, any of the following regulatory bodies".
Maybe I have picked up the inference incorrectly, but the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone spoke about parents and others. Can this list be added to? Are we suggesting that the Department of Health could at the stroke of a pen say, "Parents, ministers of religion" and list all the different various denominations? Where are the constraints of the application of clause 4(3)(a) in the individuals who could be listed by the Department of Health? I do not believe that it is as wide as Mr Tennyson has just inferred.

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

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