SNP ministers have been criticised for their response to a landmark report into youth gender identity services as the Scottish Government finally gave its response to the Cass review.

Jenni Minto, the public health minister, faced opposition claims that the government was refusing to simply accept the findings of the report as a "sop" to the Scottish Greens.

Ms Minto extended her thoughts to trans young people and their families, saying the past weeks have been "shocking, upsetting and destabilising".

However, her much-awaited statement on the Cass review, which was published on April 10, was criticised as providing little new information and "kicking the can down the road".

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A new team led by the Chief Medical Officer will examine the Cass report, which was four years in the writing and commissioned to look at NHS England's services, and make any recommendations on how it might apply in Scotland.

The team of clinicians is expected to report back on Dr Hilary's Cass's review of gender identity services for the under-18s before summer recess.

Ms Minto told MSPs in the Holyrood chamber: "Ministers do not make clinical decisions in any field of medicine, and gender identity services is no exception. I fully support health board autonomy in clinical decision making.

"It’s important to note that in Scotland, we are already making progress in a number of aspects of gender identity healthcare highlighted in the Cass Review.

"So let me be clear – work on this has already begun, and I will remain engaged throughout.

"For example, Dr Cass highlights the need to address increased capacity in services. The Scottish Government has committed to invest £9 million to support the improvement of NHS Gender Identity Healthcare in Scotland.

"That funding will be delivered over a five-year period, so that national improvement work already underway will be embedded and built upon."

Elements of Ms Minto's response have previously been announced, such as research funding for the University of Glasgow and a nationally commissioned youth gender service.

Two Scottish health boards have confirmed a pause on new prescriptions for puberty blocking and cross-sex hormones for young people with gender dysphoria who are not already prescribed the drugs.

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The minister was quizzed by cross-party MSPs, including Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, who said: "The Cass report is a four-year-long piece of work that is evidence-based, informed by expert clinicians and by those with lived-in experience. So it deserves to be treated seriously.

"Yet this statement feels more like a sop to the Greens to keep the Bute House Agreement alive."

Ms Baillie asked Ms Minto if she agreed with Patrick Harvie's assessment of the Cass review.

She asked the public health minister to clarify whether she agreed with Patrick Harvie when he said the report wasn't a "valid scientific document".

Ms Minto said: "The Scottish Government welcomed the report. I have been reading it and I recognise that Dr Cass is an eminent paediatric physician."

Asked again by Scottish Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton, Ms Minto said: "I am here to speak directly to the young children and their families who have been impacted by this decision."

It comes as the Alba Party submitted a motion of no confidence in Mr Harvie after he refused to say whether he accepted the findings of the review.

Ms Minto said her statement was being used to address the families directly impacted by the pause in puberty blockers.

Addressing trans and non-binary young people, she said: "I know these last few weeks and months have been incredibly difficult with increased media attention and toxic online commentary.

"I understand how shocking, upsetting and destabilising the announcements last week, and the public conversations around them will have been for you and your families.

"I want to reassure you that the Scottish Government remains absolutely committed, not just to ensuring ongoing support is available for you, but to reforming and improving gender identity healthcare.

"This was a key part of the Bute House Agreement and we will not waver in that commitment."

She also said it was "absolutely correct" that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian notified patients instead of the Scottish Government announcing a pause.

However, Scottish Tory deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said the statement would "offer no comfort whatsoever to families who have been failed by gender care services in Scotland".

She criticised the Scottish Government's handling of the issue after repeated attempts for a ministerial comment on the review was rejected last week.

Ms Gallacher added: "This Government claims that it supports young people experiencing gender distress, yet it has members of its own government who have publicly dismissed the findings of an evidence-based expert report.

"Today's exercise in kicking the can down the road and stalling for more time, shows that the SNP are more concerned with holding together their fragile pact with the dogmatic Greens, than the healthcare of vulnerable young people."