You're probably already familiar with the idea of ‘gay conversion therapy’. The dated and dangerous practice, which involves doctors trying to ‘cure’ homosexuality through deadly drugs and electro-shock treatment, is one that is very rarely seen outside of horror films. Apart from the fact that it's risky, repulsive and scientifically ineffective, the treatment also has absolutely no grounding in reality. After all, being gay isn't pathological, and it isn't an illness. So why would it need to be cured?

Despite that, the UK government still has absolutely no plans to outlaw the practice. In a debate yesterday at Westminster Hall, Tory health minister Jane Ellison revealed that the party isn't looking into legislation on banning or restricting any kind of gay conversion therapy – even if it uses public money.

“I fully understand the concerns about gay conversion therapy as they’ve been expressed,” she explained to fellow MPs on Tuesday. “But the government has no current plans to ban or restrict it via legislation. We don’t either have a plan to introduce statutory regulation for psychotherapies, but I say that in the knowledge that it is a position that is challenged – and one to which I will go away and reflect after the debate.”

The news comes just months after David Cameron promised to eradicate the practice completely – although, that was back in April, before the election. Has anyone noticed how politicians are basically saying any bullshit they like nowadays? It's kind of soul-destroying.

In a follow-up interview with Pink News, Tory MP Mike Freer shared his thoughts on the debate, and was hopeful that the therapy would one day finally be dismissed. “I was delighted that we had such a strong turnout for the debate which reflected the continued concern from MPs,” he shared. “Whilst not securing an outright ban – yet – securing a commitment on getting other health bodies to sign up to the memorandum is welcome.”

“Most importantly the reconvened roundtable to look at how we can tighter regulation and moving to stop aversion therapy is a significant step forward,” he added. Well, let's hope so anyway.