North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has today written to the Minister of Health calling for urgent action on puberty blockers.
Mr Gaston’s letter reads as follows:
Dear Minister,
I note a report in this morning’s Belfast Telegraph which highlights the fact that Northern Ireland could become a “back door” for puberty blockers to enter Great Britain. I write to ask that you bring forward plans to bring us into line with the rest of the United Kingdom and ban these dangerous and damaging drugs in Northern Ireland.
As you will be aware, the review by Dr Hilary Cass recommended “extreme caution” in relation to puberty blockers, described the evidence base for the use of the drugs as “weak” and highlighted a “lack of high-quality evidence” for the use of the drugs.
Frankly, I am at a loss at to why the Department thinks that it needs to procrastinate on the issue given the quality of evidence already published by Dr Cass.
There are many differences between my party and Labour on LGBT issues but I note that the new government has, at a very early stage, made clear that it will be making the ban introduced by the last administration permanent.
Please explain why the Department has not already come to a conclusion about these dangerous, life altering drugs and when you intend to bring forward proposals which will see Northern Ireland’s young people protected and remove the potential for our Province to become a back door to undermine the ban in Great Britain.
Yours sincerely,
Timothy Gaston MLA