WELSH First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that Wales should have a self-identification system similar to the one in Scotland.
At the end of last year, the Scottish Parliament backed new gender reform legislation which makes it easier for individuals to change their legal gender.
Drakeford said that Wales does not have the same powers as Scotland but that they would attempt to seek them from the UK Government.
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, Drakeford said anyone who obtains a GRC in Scotland and then comes to Wales would have that “recognised here for all the purposes you would expect it to be recognised for.
This comes following reports that transgender Scots could be forced to apply for a separate Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) south of the border, a move which Green MSP Maggie Chapman said would be a “disgraceful new low” for the UK Government.
Rishi Sunak has previously claimed it would be “completely reasonable” to consider blocking the new legislation.
Drakeford added that he had spoken to Nicola Sturgeon about the law and noted that it had been supported by “all political parties in the Scottish Parliament”.
“We will seek the powers and, if we obtain those powers, we will put those powers to work here in Wales, and we will put proposals in front of this Welsh Parliament”, he said.
Drakeford also refused to accept a question from Conservative Senedd member Laura Anne Jones, who said there were “concerns” about legislation in Scotland being “rushed through”.
Drakeford refused to rule out the legislation and said he did not accept the notion that the new law had been passed too quickly.
He later said he was “surprised” by the UK Government’s reaction to the Scottish law.
“They are threatening to use a power that has never been used in the whole history of devolution.”
The UK Government has previously insisted it is not discriminating against people from foreign countries with GRCs.
