Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Abortion Services

Wednesday 18 March 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government has a legal duty to deliver abortion reform for Northern Ireland as per the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019
  • Regulations will be laid by the end of March to meet the legal obligation set by Parliament
  • UK Government pressing ahead with regulations due to the deadline set by Parliament, regardless of the newly restored Northern Ireland Assembly

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Diana R. Johnson Lab Horsforth
NHS Northern Ireland
Context

Flybe, a regional airline, has collapsed affecting the travel arrangements for women needing to access abortion services in England.

Question

The Government have been working with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and rebooking flights for those affected by Flybe's collapse. Given that abortion was decriminalised in October 2019 but not implemented due to political delays, how can further action be taken now considering the current covid-19 situation?

Answer from Robin Walker (Minister for the Cabinet Office)

The Government are under a clear duty to deliver abortion reform for Northern Ireland as per section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019, requiring evidence-based protocols. Regulations will be laid by the end of March to meet this legal obligation.

Answered
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Q2 Jeffrey M. Donaldson DUP Lagan Valley
Northern Ireland
Context

The DUP opposes abortion legislation being passed by the UK Parliament despite the recent restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Question

With the newly restored Northern Ireland Assembly, why is the UK Government pressing ahead with regulations on abortion when this matter should be handled by the devolved government?

Answer from Robin Walker (Minister for the Cabinet Office)

The deadlines were set by Parliament, making it clear that if the Assembly was not in place by October's deadline, the Government would have a legal obligation to lay regulations by March. This is the constitutional challenge we face.

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