Legally changing gender is to become easier in Scotland but Westminster is not happy about the move.
UK government ministers are responsible for the law in this area in England and Wales, and have no plans to move in the same direction as the Scottish government.But they may go further by refusing to recognise documentation issued under the new Scottish system in other parts of the UK.The Westminster government is also not ruling out the prospect of a legal challenge once the legislation is passed by MSPs - it believes the new law may have an impact on areas where policy is decided in London.
Scottish government ministers have said they are happy to meet their UK counterparts to discuss their concerns - and officials in Edinburgh said they had tried to set up talks in October, without any response. Equalities Secretary Kemi Badenoch has written to the Scottish government expressing concerns about the Scottish legislation, and has offered to meet Scottish ministers to discuss it.A UK government source told the BBC that they had concerns people from elsewhere in the UK may relocate to Scotland to change gender.
The source described the Scottish legislation as a "test case scenario" of how a bill passed by the Scottish Parliament could "undermine Westminster competencies" - in other words, handing Holyrood powers outside Scotland.
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