The gender recognition reforms coming into law would have “no effect” on the placing of transgender prisons, the chief of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has stressed.

The UK Government has blocked the legislation that would speed up the process for transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) – with a move to a system of self-identification.

Under the plans, backed by an overwhelming majority of MSPs, no gender dysphoria diagnosis will be required to legally change gender.

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The legislation changes the method for obtaining a GRC but has no impact on what a GRC entitles someone to – largely administrative processes such as pensions and tax policies.

But the chief executive of the SPS, Teresa Medhurst, has insisted that the legislation if it comes into law, would have no impact on where transgender prisoners are placed, stressing that a prisoner having a GRC “would not necessarily override the other risk factors”.

Ms Medhurst was pressed over the issue at an appearance in front of Holyrood’s justice committee.

Conservative justice spokesperson, Jamie Greene, asked the SPS boss what impact a GRC has when officials are placing prisoners.

He said: “What effect does the position of a GRC have on your decision-making?

“There’s still a little bit of ambiguity as to what that decision-making process looks and feels like.

“I’m quite intrigued as to what effect the position of a legal document, such as a GRC, would have on your decision-making versus someone who simply declares in a different way without perhaps that legal definition.”

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In response, Ms Medhurst said: “The position with regards to a gender recognition certificate is that would be considered as a factor, an important factor, during the multi-disciplinary case conference and taken into account when a decision is reached.

“But it would not necessarily override the other risk factors that were more compelling.

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SNP MSP Fulton Macgregor asked Ms Medhurst whether “the process of that bill and the passage of that bill” have any impact on the U-turn over the placement of transgender rapist Isla Bryson.

Ms Medhurst said: “My understanding is that in work that we have been conducting in relation to both the review and following the progress of the bill, the position on the gender recognition certificate would not substantially change – there would be no effect on us.

“Therefore we could still fulfill our obligations in the way that we have been doing.”