Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate the Government has made of the potential number of abortions in Northern Ireland by unregulated practitioners between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 due to the lack of a legal framework.

The health and safety of women and girls, and clarity and certainty for the medical profession, is at the forefront of the Government’s approach in complying with the legal duty under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019.

On 7 October 2019, I published guidance on gov.uk/nio on the framework in place during the interim period which aims to provide clarity on the abortion law in Northern Ireland, including on medicine legislation in relation to abortion.

While the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland took effect on 22 October 2019, repealing criminal offences specifically relating to procuring abortion does not repeal other relevant criminal laws that exist to protect individuals. For instance, it will remain a criminal offence for anyone to assist or wilfully act to ‘destroy the life of a child then capable of being born alive’, except where the purpose is to preserve the life of the mother ‘in good faith’.

We do not expect there to be any additional services available ahead of the new legal framework being in place by 31 March 2020. Existing medical procedures are and will continue to be carefully regulated, and must be carried out by qualified health professionals in regulated premises with appropriate quality and care oversight.

Ahead of the new legal framework from 31 March 2020, women and girls resident in Northern Ireland will be able to continue to access services in England, with all costs of the procedure, including travel and, where needed, accommodation, being paid for from 22 October 2019.

The Government recognises there are a range of sensitive policy issues that will need to be carefully worked, which is why we will be consulting on the new proposed framework shortly.