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1463099

registered interest
date	16/05/2022
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 steps he plans to take to ensure fully-funded and commissioned abortion services are made available to women in Northern Ireland as soon as possible following the Northern Ireland Assembly election; and what his planned timetable is for taking those steps.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	2409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>Today I have laid Regulations to ensure abortion services are commissioned for women and girls in Northern Ireland. I have made a Written Statement in Parliament to set out the details of those regulations.</p><p>These regulations mean that the Northern Ireland Department of Health will have no further barriers to commission and fund these services, and if it does not do so as directed, the Government will then move to intervene further.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 19/05/2022 12:21:34 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1463100

registered interest
date	16/05/2022
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Genito-urinary Medicine: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Health Secretary on matters relating to the sexual and reproductive healthcare workforce in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	2410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>My Ministerial team, my officials and I have had a number of discussions with the Northern Ireland Minister of Health and his department on these matters.</p><p> </p><p>This week we have again discussed the matter of providing abortion services in Northern Ireland in advance of laying Regulations to ensure these services are provided.</p><p> </p><p>The Written Statement I have made in Parliament today sets out the details of those Regulations and makes clear the intent of the Government to intervene further if the Northern Ireland Department of Health does not commission and fund abortion services as directed.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 19/05/2022 12:23:44 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

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

1332315

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	Relationships and Sex Education: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to ensure children and young people in Northern Ireland are taught about all pregnancy options, including abortion, as part of comprehensive relationships and sex education.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	14145
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>We recognise that sexual and reproductive health education is an important component in ensuring women and girls are well informed of the choices available to them.</p><p> </p><p>Following the restoration of devolution, the Minister for Education agreed to continue funding the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for the 2020/21 FY and now from 2021/22, and further funding was made available to develop a Relationship and Sexual Education hub. This further funding will continue to develop resources, but also provide Teacher Professional Learning. My officials continue to work with the Department for Education to ensure appropriate implementation of recommendation 86(d) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW report) in Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:18:53 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332048

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, with reference to the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland, what urgent steps he is taking to ensure that those services are fully (a) funded and (b) staffed.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>Funding for all health services is a matter for the NI Executive.</p><p> </p><p>It is our clear position that these are devolved policy matters to be implemented through devolved bodies. As a result, the costs should be met from the Northern Ireland Block grant. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will continue to work closely with the Department of Health in taking forward implementation of this important devolved issue. The NIO will also provide advice as appropriate around any relevant requests for funding, and I continue to encourage the Health Minister to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland are provided with local, safe and high-quality healthcare.</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. 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 16/06/2021 14:54:41 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6602 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

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

1332050

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, with reference to the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland, whether he has plans to allocate long-term funding for the maintenance of a central access point for abortion care.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13880
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of consulting with experts, counselling and other support services to support women and girls in accessing services and making individual decisions on these matters. I put on record my thanks to Informing Choices NI for providing a central access point for early medical abortion services, working alongside medical professionals in all Health and Social Care Trusts. I also appreciate the wider support and post pregnancy counselling services Informing Choices NI is providing to women and girls in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>Funding for all health services is a matter for the NI Executive. It is our clear position that these are devolved policy matters to be implemented through devolved bodies. As a result, the costs should be met from the Northern Ireland Block grant.</p><p> </p><p>The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will continue to work closely with the Department of Health in taking forward implementation of this important devolved issue. The NIO will also provide advice as appropriate around any relevant requests for funding, and I continue to encourage the Health Minister to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland are provided with local, safe and high-quality healthcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:56:35 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6604 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332051

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 assessment his Department has made of the mental health impact on pregnant women in Northern Ireland during the covid-19 pandemic of a lack of access to abortion services in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <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> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:58:32 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6603 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332053

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, whether an Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out on the Department of Health's decision not to commission abortion services in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13882
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>I recognise the Hon Lady’s work on this important issue, and appreciate the engagement we have had to date. The Hon Lady will be aware that my department carried out an Equality Impact Assessment before the framework for abortion in Northern Ireland was set out in Parliament last year. As a designated public authority for the purposes of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, if a further Equality Impact Assessment is required on the Department of Health’s decision not to commission services, then this would be a matter for that department to take forward.</p><p> </p><p>Service provision should be delivered and overseen locally by the Department of Health and relevant health bodies with the relevant legal powers, policy and operational expertise to do so. We are disappointed with the subsequent and continuing failure of the Department and Health and the Northern Ireland Executive to commission abortion services that are consistent with those Regulations - despite having extensively engaged with the Minister for Health, his Department and wider members of the Executive on this issue for over a year now.</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><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:59:53 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6601 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

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