Puberty blockers temporary ban extended 22nd August 2024

[Helleofabore]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/puberty-blockers-temporary-ban-extended

I wasn't sure if this was new information or not.

The Government has today renewed a temporary ban on the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones, known as ‘puberty blockers.’

The continuation of the ban applies to the sale or supply of these drugs, prescribed by private UK-registered prescribers for gender incongruence or dysphoria to under 18s not already taking them.

It also prevents the sale and supply of the medicines from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland for any purposes to those under 18.

The government has also extended the order to cover Northern Ireland, following agreement from the Northern Ireland Executive, to come into effect from the 27 August.

The legislation is available here

If people are unsure how the ban applies to their circumstances, there is further information here

The National Referral Support Service for NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services provides details of organisations that people can contact for help and support.

The General Pharmaceutical Council has published a resource for pharmacy professionals to support them in providing information, support and services to children and young people with gender incongruence or dysphoria.

Anyone in need of urgent support can contact NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. There is also advice on getting mental health support available on the NHS website.

I will look for any more information about this and see if I can find anything more on it.

Wasn't someone (Green? Jolyon?) going to use NI as a loophole for obtaining PBs? Good to see that the ban is extended to cover that area.

Does the extension of the ban to NI mean that Susie Green's plan is scuppered

Thank you Helle.

I am a bit surprised as I kind of thought the tanker would be turned right back round by Labour. So, a thumbs up from me.

yy ISTR someone crowing about using postal service in NI to mule the drugs over to the mainland.

Must do Spanna

It also prevents the sale and supply of the medicines from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland for any purposes to those under 18.

The government has also extended the order to cover Northern Ireland, following agreement from the Northern Ireland Executive, to come into effect from the 27 August.

Earlier thread about Susie Green's plans.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5123055-susie-green-former-mermaids-ceo-sets-up-clinic-to-bypass-ban-on-puberty-blockers-for-children

This from Hansard Twitter

"The Govt has laid another important regulation today to extend the restriction imposed by the previous Govt on the private sale or supply of puberty blockers. But it extends to Northern Ireland for the first time."

"The Govt has used emergency powers in the Medicines Act 1968 to extend the ban for three months while it consults on whether to make the ban permanent. mattengland3011 anticipated this in his blog explaining the legislation & accountability to Parliament."

Here is the link that they mentioned

https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/puberty-blockers-delegated-legislation

Puberty blockers legislation: has the parliamentary calendar undermined accountability?

9 August 2024

"The three-month limit means the emergency Order, which came into force on 3 June, expires on 2 September 2024 – the day both Houses return after the Summer recess. There is thus no time for MPs or Peers to consider that Order before it expires."

"Furthermore, having been in force for three months it will expire well before the statutorily required 40-day scrutiny deadline of 12 October."

"Does this matter? Previous Parliaments entrusted Ministers with powers in the National Health Service Act 2006 and the Medicines Act 1968 to exercise their judgement regarding the sale and supply of medicinal products. However, Parliament retained the power to scrutinise how Ministers exercise their judgement within the scope of the powers granted to them. The 40-day scrutiny period is the official route – set out in statute – for MPs to hold ministers to account for whatever actions they may take in the exercise of those powers delegated to them that are subject to the ‘made negative’ scrutiny procedure."

"That statutory obligation to scrutinise is frustrated when an SI is in force, but the scrutiny clock is paused – as in this case for many weeks at a time - due to the exigencies of the parliamentary sitting calendar. It undermines the principle of parliamentary accountability."

My take on this is that they have extended it to allow debate and investigation. Let's see how that happens. I hope that it includes lots of bright light and balance.

Does this mean each extention is only a month long or something?

I couldn't find any reference in the .gov.uk statement that said how long the extention was for.

But thanks for noticing and posting.

FWR needs an alarm call function that beeps say after a month to say check on deveoplments!

(And yes saw the inclusion of NI)

I am guessing, and it is just a guess, that it is for another 3 months.

That would allow them time to scrutinise and debate. I would hope that would be the absolute minimum of this particular session of the ban.

I thought Labour had only just extended it ie about a month ago, but that must have been something else (refusing to lift it?) .

I see from an old newspaper story that the Tories put the ban in place on 29th May, so 3 months would fit in with August renewal.

But doubt given the many Labour plans announced that this issue will get Parliamentary time in the autumn sitting. Partly because the "facts" are so strongly contested.

But I suppose it depends how much pressure they are coming under from TRAs.

Good news thanks!

Reassuring to see that safeguarding the young is still taking precedence over the demands of transactivists. How long will they hold that line I wonder?

Nice to see NI also protected (scuppering of JM.and SG being a delightful bonus).

It also prevents the sale and supply of the medicines from prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland for any purposes to those under 18.

The government has also extended the order to cover Northern Ireland, following agreement from the Northern Ireland Executive, to come into effect from the 27 August.
Very surprised to see this part. Grateful, but surprised.

I also thought the same as pp. I thought it had already been extended which was why Wes Streeting got TRA'd on X.

He got tra'd for just saying that if the gov won the crt case they would make the ban permanent, basically he got all that abuse without doing anything

Maybe they just plan to keep kicking it into the long grass until the whole culture changes. With Stonewall and Pink News rolling back from TRA activism the end (of this particular and specific element of the gender borg) is in sight?

good news.

behold the tantrums https://www.reddit.com/r/transgenderUK/comments/1eyqy4s/puberty_blocker_ban_renewed_and_extended_to/

Ohhhh... I forgot about the court case. Thank you.

Here is the link to the provision :

And here is the details of expiry.

<strong>1.</strong>—(1) This Order may be cited as the Medicines (Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues) (Emergency Prohibition) (Extension) Order 2024.
(2) This Order extends and applies to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
(3) This Order comes into force—

(a)in so far as it applies to Northern Ireland, on 27th August 2024; and
(b)in so far as it applies to England and Wales and Scotland, on 3rd September 2024.
(4) “This Order ceases to have effect at the end of 26th November 2024.”

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/868/article/1/made

More tantrums in the ostensible Labour Party subreddit

www.reddit.com/r/LabourUK/s/E5lnkJK7wK

More good news.

This is not that surprising.

Remember the wave of abusive attacks against Wes Streeting over the CASS report and the TA attempt to make him lose his seat which combined with Gaza reduced his majority significantly. The Court case again was another outright attack. It resulted in him getting a NHS expert to refute the suicide myth.

I think Streeting is convinced by the CASS report that the whole thing is flawed, and TAs personal attack on him [with homophobic elements] has further alienated him. A whole bunch of senior NHS types obviously feel the same way.
Extending the ban to NI is an obvious thing to do.

The wheels are falling off the whole thing. Remember Streeting has now started a report into adult gender services. Obviously they are going to reveal that too has huge issues.

Presumably Streeting will take discussion Parliament at some point, but there is no reason to worry. Only a handful of Labour MPs are interested in defying Cass from what can be seen.

Fantastic news. This seems to cover all angles.

The comments there are absolutely disgusting, and horrifying