News,

3 March 2011

Dear supporter,

Anne Milton MP, the minister for public health, has been speaking today at a conference organised by Brook, one of Britain's leading abortion referral organisations. Brook specialises in advising young people - including those under 16 - about abortion, sex, STIs etc. This morning Mrs Milton addressed Brook's conference on the subject of sex and relationships education (SRE), or, as she wants to re-name it, "RSE" (relationships and sex education). Brook gave a live summary of Mrs Milton's speech via Twitter - please see Brook's tweets below. We need to challenge Mrs Milton's ideas, particularly her attempt to stop health officials and fellow politicians from advising children to say "no" to sex. Please email Mrs Milton at anne.milton.mp@parliament.uk (and copy your message to your own MP) with one or more of the following questions (and any of your own):

• Do you say that children must NOT be told that it is best to reserve sex for a permanent, committed relationship?
• Do you not agree that abstinence plus monogamy is the safest behaviour for avoiding HIV & other STIs?
• Do you not agree that avoiding premarital teenage sex will help avoid the social exclusion of single unsupported young mothers?
• Does she want to see more exploitation of vulnerable young women?

You can send a separate copy of your email to Mrs Milton to your own MP via http://www.spuc.org.uk/mps

Notes:

Brook's tweets @BrookCharity of Anne Milton's speech to the Brook conference, 3 March 2011

• Ann[e] Milton begins by thanking each volunteer by name - smart woman! Her perspective is as a nurse, a mother & politician
• "We must make sure yp [young people] are informed, have the info they need to make safer choices" Ann[e] Milton MP
• Bolstering self esteem as important as education, services etc. Government's role is to provide the right framework.
• Must take action across all government departments, locally & nationally. Will include a range of public health strategies
• Consultation on sexual health strategy, including abortion, open til mid March - Ann[e] Milton encourages all to take part.
• No young person should feel pressured into behaviours they are not ready for. Good quality SRE is vital. Ann[e] Milton MP
• Ann[e] Milton's mission is to make it RSE because the Relationship part gets lost. Current SRE not good enough.
• Julie Bentley @fpacharity asks AM [Anne Milton] commit to statutory SRE. Answer is no "regulation & compulsion is a way of ministers covering their arses" [sic]
• Ann[e] Milton wants to see better SRE without it becoming statutory. Difficult to know how to do that without the framework.
• Q: How do we drive the Sex Positive msg without strong commitment from Gov? A: leadership is important & we must talk more
• Ann[e] Milton says the 'Just say no' msg will not happen on her watch & we should contact her if we hear politicians say it.

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