The Welsh Government has terminated a research contract on ‘conversion practices’ after it was revealed that the research company’s director is a convicted sex offender.
Last year, Laurel Research Consulting Ltd secured a contract to assess the “experiences of conversion practices among people aged 18+ in Wales” to “inform future policy development”.
James Mullen, the founder and director of the firm, was imprisoned for eight months in 2013 and was on the sex offenders register when the research was commissioned.
Contract terminated
After being informed of Mr Mullen’s past offences, a Government spokesperson initially stated that it would “be reviewing the information supplied in light of the details raised” and that the research would be published this autumn.
However, following the review, a statement has now revealed that “The contract with Laurel Research Consulting has been terminated”.
The contract’s value was £31,000, but the Government refused to say whether payment would still be made to Laurel Research.
NI research
Earlier this year, The Christian Institute slammed a taxpayer-funded study pushing Northern Ireland to impose a new ‘conversion practices’ law based on the allegations of just ten people.
‘A Study of Conversion Practices in Northern Ireland’, commissioned by LGBT lobby groups with funding from the Department for Communities, featured various examples of mainstream Christian beliefs and practice described as conversion practices, including participation in “prayer, Bible studies and teaching”.
The Christian Institute’s Ciarán Kelly branded the research “impossible to take seriously”, following the study’s own admission that it was unrepresentative of the public.
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