Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD

The next item of business is a statement by Jenni Minto on gender-identity healthcare for young people. The minister will take questions at the end of her st...

The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health (Jenni Minto) SNP

I start by speaking directly to our young people—in particular, our trans and non-binary young people across Scotland. I know that the past few weeks and mon...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

The minister will now take questions on the issues that are raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes, after which we will need to move on...

Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. I spent last week trying to secure a statement from the Government on the Cass review and puberty-s...

Jenni Minto SNP

I thank Meghan Gallacher for her question. I note that the review was commissioned by the NHS in England; we have worked with the review, but Scottish pathwa...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab

I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement, although I have to register my disappointment at its lack of substance. The Cass report is a four-ye...

Jenni Minto SNP

I repeat: there are 32 recommendations in an almost 400-page report, and we are working through it at the right speed to ensure that we make the right decisi...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

Members will not be surprised to hear that there is a lot of interest in asking questions. I hope to be able to allow everybody who has pressed their button ...

Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) SNP

We know how difficult the news must have been for the young people who have been affected. What is vital now is that we focus on improving the healthcare of ...

Jenni Minto SNP

As I highlighted in my statement, I have agreed with the chief medical officer that the deputy chief medical officer and other senior medical officers will s...

Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Con

Some members of the Scottish National Party and Green Government have questioned the integrity of the evidence in the Cass report. Given that gender-identity...

Jenni Minto SNP

I am here to speak directly to the young people and children and their families who have been impacted by the decision. I want to find the best way through f...

Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) SNP

The review is clearly important and very detailed, and it requires further detailed consideration. However, we must remind ourselves, as the minister has sai...

Jenni Minto SNP

As I have said, it is a 400-page report, and a knee-jerk reaction to a report that concerns a health system that is different to Scotland’s would not, in my ...

Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I thank the minister for her statement and agree that it is right that we proceed carefully and compassionately. Given that Dr Cass’s report is founded on st...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

Minister.

Carol Mochan Lab

Further to that—

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

Minister.

Jenni Minto SNP

I thank Carol Mochan for her support in recognising that we need to take time to review the contents of the report. As I have pointed out on a couple of occa...

Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP) SNP

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests. I hold a current NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff nurse bank contract. The people who s...

Jenni Minto SNP

I thank Clare Haughey for her question and for bringing it back to those young people who have been affected by the change. In addition to the work that I ha...

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) LD

We need to remember the young people who are at the heart of this, many of whom will be in a state of profound distress. We need to get to a space where ever...

Jenni Minto SNP

I agree that it is a challenging report. As I highlighted in my statement, we have granted the University of Glasgow funds to do some research in the field, ...

Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) SNP

Dr Hilary Cass highlighted that the “increasingly toxic, ideological and polarised public debate” does nothing to serve the young folk accessing this care,...

Jenni Minto SNP

I absolutely agree. As the First Minister highlighted last week, the toxicity of the debate is perpetuated by adults, and that is unfair to the children who ...

Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green) Green

Many young people will be concerned about the effect of last week’s decision to pause the prescriptions of hormones on their healthcare journey. Our solidari...

Jenni Minto SNP

I thank Ms Mackay for her engagement on the issue and her shared concern for the young people who are most impacted by the change. As I highlighted in my st...

Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

The Cass review highlights the clear acknowledgement of detransition as a growing phenomenon that cannot be ignored; in fact, it was mentioned in the report ...

Jenni Minto SNP

As I noted, the chief medical officer has agreed to update Parliament by writing on the clinical side before the summer recess. Given that we are talking abo...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

One of Dr Cass’s main criticisms of the system in England was a failure to reliably collect even the most basic data. She also said that NHS adult gender ser...