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1314753

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) recommendations of the report by the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on abortion law in Northern Ireland and (b) majority judgments of the Supreme Court in In the matter of an application by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) [2018] UKSC 27.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	1274
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>We recognise that access to abortion services is an emotive and sensitive issue for many. In July 2019, Parliament imposed on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a duty under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 to ensure all of the CEDAW recommendations are implemented in Northern Ireland. This is a matter of domestic, not international, law.</p><p> </p><p>The devolution settlement does not absolve us of our responsibility to uphold the rights of women and girls, given the duty in section 9 of the EF Act did not fall away with the restoration of the Executive, nor with the making of the initial regulations that came into force on 31 March 2020.</p><p> </p><p>While we made the Regulations last March providing the framework for access to abortions, and some service provision commenced, this has not discharged those legal duties in full. We carefully considered the views and evidence presented through the consultation - including those who took the time to share individual, and often deeply personal experiences, to help shape the final framework for Northern Ireland. The CEDAW Report and recommendations require that evidence based protocols are adopted in terms of provision of services in Northern Ireland, and we took particular account of the views and evidence provided by experts and medical professionals, alongside the views of other respondents in making decisions on the final proposals. We considered the range of views in light of our legal obligations, and took evidenced based decisions, in order to bring forward a new legislative framework that is operationally sound, works best for Northern Ireland and that delivers on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s duty. To this end, we developed an abortion framework that provides access to services consistent with what the CEDAW Report and the section 9 duty require.</p><p> </p><p>We consider the Regulations to also be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and we are confident that the legal framework put in place, and the ongoing efforts to ensure the CEDAW recommendations are implemented, is lawful in light of case law and the statutory obligations imposed on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 24/05/2021 11:05:57 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1254166

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2020
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2020 to Question 91890 on abortion: Northern Ireland, what plans he has to conduct an assessment of the infection risks to the pregnant women forced to travel to the British mainland to access abortion care; and whether he has raised the issue of those potential infection risks with the Northern Ireland Minster for Health.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	118529
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2020 answer text <p>Women and girls resident in Northern Ireland continue to have access to safe, fully-funded abortion services in England through the Government-funded scheme. The Government continues to monitor and keep these services under review.</p><p> </p><p>The health and safety of women and girls in accessing abortion care remains paramount right across the UK. No assessment has been made of the infection risks to pregnant women travelling to Great Britain to access abortion care, on the basis that abortion services are provided within professional standards of practice to the highest standards of patient care.</p><p> </p><p>Some abortion service provision commenced in Northern Ireland through existing sexual and reproductive health clinics across most Health and Social Care Trusts from April 2020. My Department and I are continuing to engage with the Northern Ireland Minister of Health and his department on progressing with the full commissioning of services for access to safe and lawful abortion care for women and girls in Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 01/12/2020 12:05:35 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1332314

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of anti-abortion protests outside clinics in Northern Ireland on the accessibility of abortion services to women requiring abortion care.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
	uin	14144
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>We recognise that there are strongly held views on abortion, and that everyone has the right to express their views, including the right to peaceful protest. Equally, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is under a clear legal duty under section 9 of the NIEF Act to ensure that the recommendations in paragraphs 85 and 86 of the CEDAW report are implemented in respect of Northern Ireland. That includes Recommendation 86(g) - ‘Protect women from harassment by anti-abortion protesters by investigating complaints and prosecuting and punishing perpetrators’.</p><p> </p><p>We previously committed to keeping the matter of exclusion zones under review for 12 months following the making of the 2020 abortion regulations, and we will continue to keep the matter under close review as and when abortion services are commissioned.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of existing public order offences under Northern Ireland that can be relied on, depending on the individual circumstances of the incident.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 15:44:24 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1331497

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of anti-abortion protests outside clinics in Northern Ireland on the accessibility of abortion services to women requiring abortion care.
	tabling member constituency	North Down
	tabling member printed	Stephen Farry
	uin	13256
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2021 answer text <p>We recognise that there are strongly held views on abortion, and that everyone has the right to express their views, including the right to peaceful protest. Equally, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is under a clear legal duty under section 9 of the NIEF Act to ensure that the recommendations in paragraphs 85 and 86 of the CEDAW report are implemented in respect of Northern Ireland. That includes Recommendation 86(g) - ‘Protect women from harassment by anti-abortion protesters by investigating complaints and prosecuting and punishing perpetrators’.</p><p> </p><p>We previously committed to keeping the matter of exclusion zones under review for 12 months following the making of the 2020 abortion regulations, and we will continue to keep the matter under close review as and when abortion services are commissioned.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of existing public order offences in Northern Ireland that can likely be relied on, depending on the individual circumstances of the incident.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 21/06/2021 10:51:10 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4856 label Biography information for Stephen Farry

1332049

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what timeframe he plans to agree with the Minister of Health in Northern Ireland on the introduction of a fully funded and commissioned abortion service; and what steps he is taking to ensure that service is made available.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
	uin	13879
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2021 answer text <p>We made the Abortion Regulations in March 2020 - and remain disappointed with the continuing failure to commission abortion services that are consistent with the Regulations to ensure women and girls have safe local access to this healthcare service. While medical professionals have taken forward some service provision on the ground in Northern Ireland from last April and over 1,100 abortions have been provided to date, more needs to be done.</p><p> </p><p>We have always said that we believe that the commissioning of services by the Department of Health would remain the most appropriate way to progress the matter. However, after a year of engaging to see positive progress made, with no success, the legal duties and moral obligations are such that we have taken further action.</p><p> </p><p>The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021, which came into effect on 31 March 2021, give the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a power to direct relevant Northern Ireland Ministers, departments and agencies to commission abortion services, consistent with the conditions set out in the 2020 Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>We will not let progress be drawn out indefinitely. We are clear that we want to see concrete progress towards the commissioning of abortion services before summer recess, and if this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing a direction immediately so direct action is taken so that the rights of women and girls can be properly upheld and they can have safe and lawful access to abortion services locally.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to engage with the Department of Health to try and find a way forward and will provide every opportunity to move forward with commissioning before we have to issue the direction.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 15/06/2021 14:58:25 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1279144

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many women have travelled to England to receive abortion care since the establishment of a legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland on 31 March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Yardley
	tabling member printed	Jess Phillips
	uin	141486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2021 answer text <p>The health and safety of women and girls remains paramount in accessing abortion services across the UK. I note there is some local provision of services, with over 719 abortions having been provided in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>Where access is sought in other circumstances and cannot yet be provided locally in Northern Ireland, we are continuing to engage closely with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service who are contracted to provide access to the Government-funded services in England. During Covid-19, even where travel options have been limited, some abortion services have remained available in England for women resident in Northern Ireland to access.</p><p> </p><p>The statistics for 2020 will be published later this year by the Department of Health and Social Care as per usual practice.</p><p> </p><p>We firmly believe that full commissioning of services by the Department of Health would remain the most appropriate way to progress the matter and we are working to further engage and offer support to achieve this at the earliest opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to monitor the situation closely, including considering further legislative action at Westminster.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 29/01/2021 14:57:07 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4370 label Biography information for Jess Phillips

1256294

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2020
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland, whether he is taking steps to ensure UK compliance with the recommendations of the 2018 report from the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Derbyshire
	tabling member printed	Mrs Pauline Latham
	uin	121837
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2020 answer text <p>The Regulations we made, consistent with the duty placed on the Government under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019, have been in place since 31 March 2020. The Regulations provide a new framework for lawful access to abortion services in Northern Ireland. The Regulations deliver equivalent outcomes in practice to the rest of the UK so that women and girls can enjoy similar rights in accessing abortion services locally in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2020, some service provision has commenced on the ground in Northern Ireland through existing sexual and reproductive health clinics across most Health and Social Care Trusts. According to figures released by the Department of Health in October 2020, over 719 abortions have been provided to women and girls locally in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>My Department and I are continuing to engage and work with the Northern Ireland Health Minister and the relevant Northern Ireland departments, in implementing the remaining CEDAW recommendations on matters for which they are responsible, including the full commissioning of abortion services in line with the Regulations we made, at the earliest opportunity.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 07/12/2020 10:47:39 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4025 label Biography information for Mrs Pauline Latham

1200043

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2020
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policy of the Northern Ireland Assembly opposing the extension of abortion regulations to Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	North Antrim
	tabling member printed	Ian Paisley
	uin	54110
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The Northern Ireland Assembly has not opposed the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020.</p><p>The debate in the Assembly on 2 June 2020 was focused on one aspect of those regulations, severe fetal impairment, and does not have any binding effects on the Regulations we have made.</p><p>As abortion remains a devolved issue in Northern Ireland, the Assembly remains able to legislate on abortion, subject to the usual Assembly and other procedures, including compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights. The UK Government will continue to ensure we abide by our domestic and international legal obligations.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 09/06/2020 11:20:40 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4129 label Biography information for Ian Paisley

1331299

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2021
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many women have travelled to the British mainland to receive abortion care since the establishment of a legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland on 31 March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
	uin	12992
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2021 answer text <p>The Department of Health and Social Care has now published the 2020 statistics on abortion in England and Wales. In 2020, there were 371 abortions in England and Wales for women from Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>I would note that over 1,100 women and girls have been able to access local abortion services since April last year - and this should not be overlooked at a time where the services have not been formally commissioned. It is, however, very distressing to hear that even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, some women and girls have still been forced to travel, at a time where it is even more crucial for local access to healthcare to be available. I put on record my thanks to the medical professionals who have ensured that women and girls have had some access to abortion services in Northern Ireland to date, and the organisations that have supported this work.</p><p> </p><p>However, progress must be made towards properly commissioning services so that safe, local abortion services are fully available as a healthcare service in Northern Ireland. The current situation is not acceptable. If there continues to be no progress, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will issue a direction using his powers under the Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021, to ensure that services are commissioned and delivered according to the 2018 Report of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 14/06/2021 12:48:17 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1250004

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2020
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with respect to the cessation of abortion services in the Northern Trust in Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the infection risks to the pregnant women forced to travel to the British mainland to access abortion care.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	91890
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>The Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No.2) Regulations 2020 that the Government made have been in place since March 2020. Some services commenced on the ground in Northern Ireland through existing sexual and reproductive health services across most Health and Social Care Trusts from this time.</p><p> </p><p>The Regulations deliver rights that are equivalent in practice to the rest of the UK so that women and girls in Northern Ireland can enjoy similar rights in accessing abortion services locally going forward.</p><p> </p><p>Informing Choices Northern Ireland has been acting as the Central Access Point in order to provide a local pathway to this abortion care, and the Central Booking Service in England can also continue to be contacted for support and advice on options available to access abortion services at present.</p><p> </p><p>No assessment has been made of the infection risks to the pregnant women travelling to Great Britain from Northern Ireland, to access fully funded abortion services. However, as is the case with the rest of the UK, the protection of women and girls in Northern Ireland and the promotion of their health and safety remains paramount.</p><p><br></p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/11/2020 10:44:27 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion