Will you ask your MP to support a bill to protect women and children?
This Friday a private member’s bill in the House of Commons presents MPs with a chance to discuss changing the law to clarify the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act, stop the social transitioning of children in schools and ban healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to anyone under 18 years old.
What are private members’ bills?
Most laws that are enacted start as bills that are put to the Houses of Parliament by the government. But backbench MPs can also introduce legislation through private members’ bills (PMBs) such as this one.
While it’s not as common for a private member’s bill to make it through all the stages in Parliament required for a bill to become a law, it does happen. And even where a bill doesn’t progress to an Act of Parliament, it can still have a role to play – putting forward a potential legislative solution to important issues for Parliamentary scrutiny and raising awareness among both Parliamentarians and the public.
The Health & Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill put forward by Liz Truss MP is on the House of Commons agenda on Friday morning for what’s officially called a “second reading”, but is actually the first opportunity MPs will have to debate the proposals in the bill.
A timely debate
This week, the government’s consultation on its draft guidance for schools and colleges on gender-questioning children closes, and the WPATH files have exposed serious issues with the guidance that underpins NHS provision of so-called gender affirmative care. This timely bill sets out a series of sensible measures to protect women’s rights, and to protect children from being socially and medically transitioned.
The bill would amend two acts: the Health and Care Act 2022 and the Equality Act 2010.