BREAKING: The government has disbanded its LGBT advisory panel following our reports last month on the resignation of three members, who accused the govt of creating a “hostile environment” for LGBT people.

Their terms were due to expire on 31st March. Govt didn’t extend them.

Understand any replacement for the panel is uncertain. But govt is looking into it.

“The Minister for Women & Equalities has written to panel members to thank them for their contributions, and plans for a replacement for the Panel will be set out in due course."

This move had been anticipated, with panel members complaining that meetings with govt had been sparse in recent months.

The panel will be disbanded before seeing the full outline of the promised ban on so-called conversion therapy, but progress on that front is still expected.

A reminder of our previous reporting on this story for further context. https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1369687243846258688?s=20

Full write-up of today’s story here: https://www.itv.com/news/2021-04-13/government-disbands-lgbt-advisory-panel

This story involves a lot of complex stakeholders and is not as simple as assuming govt is no longer listening. This is what the Equalities Minister said a few weeks ago on conversion therapy to @Peston for example. MPs lobbying for a ban remain hopeful having met with her. https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1374811437080645633