Patrick Harvie calls for Scottish Government to publish shelved conversion therapy bill

The Scottish Government's handling of calls to ban conversion therapy will be a "critical test", Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has said.

It was anticipated that the SNP administration would bring forward a bill to ban LGBT+ conversion therapy in this year's programme for government, following consultation.

However, it instead said it will "continue to develop proposals" on the matter and will only attempt to legislate if a UK-wide approach fails.

The First Minister has said the government will cooperate with UK ministers.

Ahead of the Scottish Greens conference in Greenock, Harvie said: "The conversion therapy position is going to be a really critical test of whether the government’s commitment to equality can really still be trusted by the people whose lives are more affected by those kinds of decisions."

He told The Scotsman: "I think we should introduce that bill at Holyrood. If the UK bill then comes forward that means it's going to do the same thing, then okay, fair enough. But there's a very, very strong likelihood, given the state of the Labour Party on some of these issues, that they will come up with some kind of fudge that tries to play to both sides.

"I don't see a reason not to publish that bill in the Scottish Parliament now and then at least we have the option to legislate for ourselves.

"That would let us see the strength of will the Scottish Government has. Are the ministers who have advocated for equality all along still in charge of equality or is there some kind of compromise being cooked up."

Relating the matter to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who said she would not have voted for the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, had she not been on maternity leave at the time, Harvie cast doubt on the Scottish Government's commitment to a conversion therapy ban.

The gender reforms fell after it was found that the move overstepped into reserved areas.

Harvie said: "What we've seen is someone who has sat in cabinet and signed off the Gender Recognition Reform Bill then eventually said they wouldn’t have voted for it. Now if you sit in cabinet and you sign off a bill that you don’t support, there’s one very principled decision that you can take in that scenario and she didn't.

"So they are now saying that they still support the conversion practices ban and a full comprehensive ban."

The Scottish Government said it is "committed to ending conversion practices in Scotland which aim to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity".  A spokesperson said: "They are damaging and destructive acts that violate people’s human rights.

"We are engaging constructively with the UK Government as we work to end these harmful practices. It is right that we fully explore a cross-government, cross-party approach. At the same time work is ongoing so that legislation can be introduced to the Scottish Parliament in the event that a UK-wide approach is not achievable."