Scotland Act 1998: Section 35 Power

Stuart C McDonald Excerpts

Tuesday 17th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jack]

In short, two different regimes create adverse effects.

[Stuart C. McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)]

Is that it? These answers are absolutely pathetic. Why can states and territories in the US, Canada and Australia successfully operate self-ID without interference or complaint from either neighbouring territories or central Government, but it cannot happen here even though we are supposed to have the most powerful devolved Parliament in the world?

Why does the equalities unit fact sheet produced by the Government for their own consultation on self-ID state clearly:

“There will be no change to the provision of women-only spaces and services… This has been the law since 2010 and will not change”?

The Secretary of State is scrabbling around for legal advice to peddle myths in this Chamber, isn’t he?

[Mr Jack]

I did say that there was no devolved Administration in Europe that had different gender rules to the state. The hon. Gentleman raises the USA, Canada and Australia, where there is no central ID law, because, differently, they have federal structures.