Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.