Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the guidance on the implementation of Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 is applied consistently in relation to activities permitted within safe access zones.

Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 sets out that it is an offence for anyone within a Safe Access Zone to intentionally or recklessly influence any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services; obstruct or impede any person accessing, providing, or facilitating the provision of abortion services at an abortion clinic; or cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in connection with a decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services.

The Government has recently consulted publicly on the guidance, which is designed to ensure that abortion service providers and everyone within Safe Access Zones are clear as to what is expected under the new law and that law enforcement agencies have a clear and consistent understanding around the enforcement of Safe Access Zones. We are currently analysing all responses to the consultation and will publish revised guidance in due course.