5. What action will the Welsh Government take in light of the Cass review's interim report? OQ58018

Llywydd, the Cass review was commissioned by NHS England for NHS England. It is one source of evidence, amongst others, which can be drawn upon in developing services for trans children and young people in Wales.

Thank you, First Minister. The Cass review's interim report to NHS England, as you highlighted just then, has highlighted several concerning issues. The interim report clearly warrants some real debate and discussion of the same services here in Wales. It highlighted really worrying issues, and I would have thought it would have prompted this Welsh Government to hold a similar inquiry in Wales on the back of those findings. Undoubtedly, there are very similar problems mirrored here in Wales. I know that the lack of reaction to this review by this Welsh Government is something that concerns politicians of all colours across Wales—MSs and MPs. Can you not see the importance, First Minister, of getting this right? The last thing I'm sure any of us want is to put children's lives at risk. So, First Minister, will you commit to a Wales-specific review of services for gender-questioning children and adolescents?

The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, which is responsible for the service in Wales, met with Dr Cass in March. As a result, we have a commitment that the review team will work with the Welsh service and providers here, so that we can further define the clinical service model for the future that will be needed in Wales and any identified workforce implications. WHSSC intend to ask for expressions of interest from those in the field for a gender identity development service for Wales, and that will be informed by the Cass review, by the conversations that we will have with Dr Cass, but also by a broader set of evidence that we have here in Wales of the needs of young people in these circumstances, which will allow us not simply to pick up a set of solutions devised for a different jurisdiction, but to develop those services in a way that is sensitive to the landscape of service and the needs of young people here in Wales.