Matt Bell (South Dorset) - Response to Questions - 4th July 2024 Election

Women of Dorset have contacted all those standing in the eight constituencies that cover Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Below is the response from Matt Bell (Lib Dem) - South Dorset.

Good evening

Liberal Democrats seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of every individual, and we reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination.

We are committed to tackling violence by men against women and girls, which is far too prevalent in our society. We have been campaigning hard for misogyny to be made a hate crime; for the Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention and uphold internationally-agreed standards for preventing violence against women and supporting survivors; to improve age-appropriate sex and relationship education in schools; and to ensure better training and more resources for police, prosecutors and judges – so survivors are listened to and supported, criminals are punished, and victims get justice.

We are committed to fighting for both gender equality and equality for all LGBT+ people. For most people, their gender matches their physical sex at birth, but there is a relatively small number of people – up to 1% of the population – for whom that is not the case, and I believe we must respect their identities too.

Equality Act 

Liberal Democrats believe we must ensure the safety, dignity and wellbeing of all people. We are committed to upholding women’s rights and trans rights, and do not believe that the two are in conflict.

That is demonstrated by the Equality Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone on the basis of any of a list of protected characteristics, including both sex and gender reassignment.

The Act sets out certain exceptions where differentiated treatment is permitted, including in relation to single-sex services, sports, and the selection of candidates by political parties. However, there is considerable debate and uncertainty for people over the use of these exceptions.

Liberal Democrats believe that individuals and service providers should be given more clarity over how to make decisions that are often very difficult and sensitive. The Government should publish clear and comprehensive guidance on the use of single-sex and separate-sex exceptions under the Act, using worked examples and case studies from organisations providing these services.

The aim of that guidance should be to ensure that everyone who needs single-sex services – such as survivors of sexual violence or domestic abuse – can access them safely, to prevent unjustified discrimination against trans people, and to provide clarity and certainty to service providers and the public. It should be produced in consultation with those most likely to be affected, including women who have experienced sexual violence or domestic abuse, trans people and providers of single-sex services.

Cass Review 

• When it comes to children and young people, our focus should always be on ensuring their wellbeing and preventing harm. But the Cass Review has shown that for years, young people have been let down.
• Liberal Democrats agree that young people are being let down by low standards of care, waiting lists are far too long, and this whole debate has become too toxic.
• Clearly, change is needed to ensure that every young person gets the high quality healthcare they deserve.
• We fully support the NHS’ decision to move towards a regional model for gender healthcare services. As Cass says, it’s right that young people who are questioning their gender receive compassionate, holistic and individualised support as quickly as possible. As a party, we share this priority.
• When it comes to the implementation of the Cass Review, Liberal Democrats will keep pushing so every young person has access to high-quality healthcare, and that their best interests are always the top priority. 

Sports

We’ve got to make sure that sport is as safe and fair for women as possible. We believe that it should be for each sporting body to make decisions for their sport, balancing three priorities: inclusion, fairness and safety. The right way to balance each of those will depend on the particular nature of each sport.

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Kind regards

Matt Bell

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset