Boris Johnson has confirmed churches in Britain will still be allowed to pray for gay people who request help to live chastely – despite plans to ban conversion therapy.

The Prime Minister said all adults can still get ‘appropriate pastoral support including prayer’ in religious settings in the ‘exploration of their sexual orientation’.

The PM told the Evangelical Alliance (EA) that he takes ‘freedom of speech and freedom of religion very seriously’ and he will not back calls from some LGBT campaigners who wanted a ban on any practice aiming to change someone’s sexual identity, including prayer.

The EA’s UK Director Peter Lynas had warned that a ban would be “a substantive block on supporting those that do not wish to act on their sexual attraction.”

“Ironically, those calling for a ban are promoting polices that would discriminate against someone based on their sexuality – preventing someone who is gay from accessing counselling available to a straight person.”

He added: ‘An expansive definition of conversion therapy, and a ban along such lines, would place church leaders at risk of prosecution when they preach on biblical texts relating to marriage and sexuality.

He said they naturally “oppose abusive practices, and the use of electro-shock treatment and corrective rape are clearly wrong and should be ended”.

“However, such practices should already be banned or illegal and as such should be dealt with under existing policies and laws.”