Yousaf: Trans women will be protected under misogyny law

Mr Yousaf also said that “all aspects” of the recent review by Dr Hilary Cass, external into NHS England’s gender identity services for under-18s would be considered by the Scottish government.

The review was released last week and found the evidence base for medical interventions in gender care for young people had been “remarkably weak” and that children had been let down by a “toxic” public discourse around gender.

Mr Yousaf did not rule out halting the routine prescription of puberty blockers – a move the NHS in England has already made after the Cass review stated there was “not enough evidence” for them.

He said: “Every recommendation that Dr Cass makes will be considered as part of that consideration of the entire report including the recommendations that she makes in relation to puberty blockers, and that is one element of the recommendations that Dr Cass makes.

“There’s a number of recommendations – all of them will be given consideration.”

However, the first minister said that the prescription of treatments should be one made by clinicians rather than politicians.

The Scottish government has come under pressure to scrap the use of puberty blockers, with SNP MP Joanna Cherry, Alba Party MSP Ash Regan and Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher calling for a review.

Dr Cass said last week that “we don’t have good evidence” that puberty blockers are safe to use to “arrest puberty”, adding that what started out as a clinical trial had been expanded to a wider group of young people before the results of that trial were available.