Abortion: Northern Ireland

(asked on 16th January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to ensure that the new abortion regulations for Northern Ireland do not go further than those laid out in section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019.


Answered by
Julian Smith Portrait
Julian Smith
This question was answered on 21st January 2020

We have now finished a six-week consultation on the proposals for the new framework that would provide lawful access to abortion services in Northern Ireland, consistent with what is required under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019 - and the recommendations of the 2018 UN CEDAW Report.

This consultation provided an opportunity for the people in Northern Ireland and relevant organisations to properly provide input and views on the question of how we can best deliver a proposal that is consistent with what is required under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019.

We welcomed the submissions received particularly from health professionals, statutory bodies and people with lived experience in Northern Ireland - and appreciate all of those that have taken the time to engage with the consultation.

We will now be carefully analysing the submissions received, and ensuring that the views received are reflected in the Government’s response, and inform the final framework that will be provided for in the regulations.

Reticulating Splines