Senedd presiding officer accuses Reform MS of offensive comments in Welsh Gender Service debate

The Senedd's presiding officer has accused a Reform MS of making offensive remarks in a debate about the crisis-hit Welsh Gender Service (WGS).

Joe Martin said the service should be shut down and the "butchers" and "liars" responsible for surgery on children should be jailed.

The WGS, external provides services to adults aged 18 and over identifying as transgender - Martin did not specify the cases he was referring to.

Surgery referrals from the service are paused pending a review.

Presiding officer Huw Irranca-Davies's spokesperson said Martin had been asked not to use "language of this type in future".

Reform Wales said it believed the remarks should be protected as free speech but accepted the ruling.

It is the first time the presiding officer has directly reprimanded Martin.

However, some of his previous comments in the chamber had been criticised by MSs from other parties.

Irranca-Davies found him in breach of the Senedd's standing orders - specifically on making disorderly or offensive language.

In June Martin was accused of racism over a speech where he claimed attacks from Sudanese asylum seekers were "inevitable".

The next day, Martin prompted a walk-out with a second speech joking about Welsh students being unable to read.

Martin spoke in a debate on the WGS triggered by the Welsh Green Party's Anthony Slaughter on Wednesday.

Slaughter said patients were facing "unbearable limbo", while Reform's Cristiana Emsley said it would be unacceptable for surgery to continue when "serious concerns exist".

In the debate, Martin said: "The Welsh Gender Service should be closed forever and the doctors in the UK who performed surgeries on children should be imprisoned for what they've done.

"If Reform form a government in Westminster in 2029, I'll be making representations to our colleagues there that justice be served to the liars and the butchers responsible for what's happened to what's left of the young people who have had surgery performed."

The WGS does not provide services to under 18s.

Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor immediately distanced himself from the comments and said they were "entirely unacceptable".

Plaid Welsh government chief whip Heledd Fychan raised a point of order calling for Martin's comments to be reviewed to see if it broke rules on discriminatory language.

Irranca-Davies said there was "merit" on the point of order and promised to review the comments and return to the matter if it was necessary.

A spokesperson for Irranca-Davies said: "The Llywydd has reviewed the contribution made by Joe Martin MS during the short debate yesterday.

"He has ruled that the remarks breached the requirements under standing orders, specifically that they were disorderly and offensive.

"The Llywydd intends to make this ruling on the record at the next available opportunity in Plenary and has written to the member to require that he does not use language of this type in future contributions."

Martin told Radio Wales Breakfast on Saturday he had a meeting with the Llywydd next week.

A Reform Wales spokesperson said: "While we believe Joe's remarks should be protected as free speech, we accept the ruling of the Llywydd."

The WGS is run by Cardiff and Vale health board.

The board's executive medical director, David Fluck, said it was "committed to being an open, diverse and inclusive employer and healthcare provider to all and we do not support any comments that discriminate or negatively stigmatise trans patients or communities".

He said services were only provided for adults aged 18 or over.

Fluck added: "It has been well documented that the adult Wales Gender Service is currently under review and, as part of this process, engagement and the views of people who have informed and relevant experience and expertise will be sought.

"The review aims to ensure patients continue to receive appropriate, safe and high-quality care that meets their needs and as a health board and provider of the service for Wales, we will co-operate with the review fully."