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<p>I thank the Hon Lady for raising this issue. In discussing this issue, we must
remember the women and girls who are impacted by the lack of safe, local and accessible
healthcare. The health and safety of women and girls remains paramount in providing
access to abortion services right across the UK.</p><p> </p><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, including access to counselling.</p><p>
</p><p>We laid further Regulations on 23 March 2021, which provide the Secretary of
State for Northern Ireland with a power to direct a Northern Ireland Minister, a Northern
Ireland department, the Health and Social Care Board of the Public Health Agency to
take action necessary to implement all of the recommendations in paragraphs 85 and
86 of the CEDAW Report. We took this action because we understood the impact the delays
have had on women and girls in Northern Ireland, who cannot access safe and local
healthcare.</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that this delay continues to affect women and
girls in Northern Ireland and 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. If this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing
a direction immediately 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>
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