Efforts by both the Westminster and Holyrood governments to ban “abusive” conversion therapy practices might suggest that there are a great many victims of such practices up and down the country.
Setting aside the fact that it is already illegal to abuse someone in a therapy setting, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, how prevalent is this issue?
A new data point has become available thanks to a Freedom of Information request into the usage of a taxpayer funded helpline for anyone concerned they might be a victim of so-called conversion therapy.
The FOI request made by The Christian Institute found that the Scottish Government paid just shy of £72,000 to a charity called LGBT Health and Wellbeing to operate the helpline. In the last three months of 2025 the helpline received just three calls, possibly from the same person.
The government was unable to provide the number of calls for the first three quarters of the year, however The Christian Institute noted that if Q4 was indicative of overall usage patterns, the helpline would have received 16 calls during the course of the year, with each one costing the taxpayer around £4,500.
The Times recently reported that LGBT Health and Wellbeing ran sessions to help biological men who identify as women to 'breastfeed', although the charity has disputed this characterisation of its work.
The charity has been part of lobbying efforts in Holyrood for the Scottish government to introduce a ban on conversion therapy.
Attempts at introducing a ban on conversion therapy have received strong opposition from both Christian and free-speech groups, who fear it could lead to the criminalisation of prayer and pastoral conversations by pastors, or frank discussions between parents and their children.
A parent who refuses to affirm their child’s gender identity or who discourages them from undergoing life-changing surgery could potentially be accused of psychological abuse, critics fear.
Joanna Timm, Senior Public Affairs Officer at The Christian Institute, said, “These figures expose an extraordinary misuse of public money.
"Scottish taxpayers have funded what may well be the nation’s most expensive helpline. Existing criminal law already deals with abusive and coercive behaviour.
"The kind of law LGBT Health and Wellbeing are demanding would redefine ordinary parenting, pastoral care and prayer as ‘conversion therapy’.
“Taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll an organisation that promotes controversial gender ideology while campaigning for a law that could criminalise ordinary conversations between parents and children, or ministers and members of their congregations.”
