Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Caine on 23 November (HL Deb col 1465), whether they will reconsider current proposals for the timing of the committee stage of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill; and whether they will pause that stage.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Committee Stage for the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is no longer scheduled for 12 and 14 December. It will be rescheduled in due course.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office on 6 July (HC Deb, col 717), when their public consultation on the use of both sets of abortion pills at home will commence; and how long the consultation will last.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. The current COVID-19 measure will be kept in place until the public consultation concludes and a decision has been made. Work to develop the consultation will begin soon and further details will be available in due course, but the consultation will be completed and a Government response published, before the end date of the temporary order.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what precautions they are taking to ensure that the public consultation on 'at home' abortions does not extend beyond the end date of the temporary order.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. The current COVID-19 measure will be kept in place until the public consultation concludes and a decision has been made. Work to develop the consultation will begin soon and further details will be available in due course, but the consultation will be completed and a Government response published, before the end date of the temporary order.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many at-home abortions beyond 9 weeks and 6 days have been reported; and what was the gestational age of each, since the temporary order to allow them commenced.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department will be publishing an additional official statistics release of abortion data covering the COVID-19 period from January to June 2020 on 10 September. The Code of Practice outlined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 prohibits the pre-release of official statistics before the due date of publication.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to place a copy in the Library of the House of the report on the consultation on abortion law conducted by the Northern Ireland Office in November and December 2019.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I can confirm that the Government will shortly publish its response to the consultation ‘A new legal framework for abortion services in Northern Ireland: Implementation of the legal duty under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019’.
The Government will also shortly lay before Parliament regulations providing for 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.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether women in Northern Ireland considering an abortion between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 will be offered counselling equivalent to that offered to women in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Northern Ireland Executive was not restored by 21 October 2019, so section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 has now come into force, providing for the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland in relation to sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. The United Kingdom Government is now under a duty to bring forward regulations to introduce a new legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland by 31 March 2020 and has published guidance for healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland on abortion law for the period 22 October 2019 to 31 March 2020. This makes clear that abortion services are not expected to be routinely available in Northern Ireland before 31 March 2020.
The UK Government-funded Central Booking System (CBS) has been in operation since March 2018 as a single point of contact for women in Northern Ireland to access abortion care in England. The CBS, and abortion care provided under the scheme, will continue to offer the same service and care package to women from Northern Ireland between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020. During this period women from Northern Ireland will be able to have all travel and, where needed, accommodation paid for without any means testing. The package of care offered to women from Northern Ireland is equivalent to the package of care offered to women from England and includes a consultation including impartial information/advice, and where needed, counselling with an abortion provider in England.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that women's safety and well-being are protected should decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland lead to unregulated abortions.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
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.
As the duty has now come into effect, there have been some immediate changes to the law in Northern Ireland. We do not expect there to be any additional services available ahead of the new legal framework being in place by 31 March 2020. It is important that we get the legal framework right and are confident that service provision in Northern Ireland can meet women and girls’ needs.
In the meantime, 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.
Healthcare professionals who have a conscientious objection should follow guidance from their professional body. We recognise that this is a sensitive issue, and consideration is being given to providing for conscientious objection in the new legal framework for access to abortion in Northern Ireland.
The Government will be shortly consulting on this proposed framework.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal frameworks will be in place between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 to protect health professionals in Northern Ireland with a conscientious objection to abortion.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
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.
As the duty has now come into effect, there have been some immediate changes to the law in Northern Ireland. We do not expect there to be any additional services available ahead of the new legal framework being in place by 31 March 2020. It is important that we get the legal framework right and are confident that service provision in Northern Ireland can meet women and girls’ needs.
In the meantime, 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.
Healthcare professionals who have a conscientious objection should follow guidance from their professional body. We recognise that this is a sensitive issue, and consideration is being given to providing for conscientious objection in the new legal framework for access to abortion in Northern Ireland.
The Government will be shortly consulting on this proposed framework.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland will be on 31 March 2020 if a majority of Northern Ireland voters state that they are opposed to new abortion legislation.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
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.
As the duty has now come into effect, there have been some immediate changes to the law in Northern Ireland. We do not expect there to be any additional services available ahead of the new legal framework being in place by 31 March 2020. It is important that we get the legal framework right and are confident that service provision in Northern Ireland can meet women and girls’ needs.
In the meantime, 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.
Healthcare professionals who have a conscientious objection should follow guidance from their professional body. We recognise that this is a sensitive issue, and consideration is being given to providing for conscientious objection in the new legal framework for access to abortion in Northern Ireland.
The Government will be shortly consulting on this proposed framework.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Kenya, and (2) Marie Stopes International Kenya about the announcement by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board that Marie Stopes has been (a) directed immediately to cease offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities in Kenya, (b) instructed to review its existing Guidelines for Reproductive Health Services to ensure conformity with the law, and (c) admonished for contravening the Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Practitioners and Health Facilities) (Advertising) Rules 2016; and whether they intend to halt any funding provided to Marie Stopes International Kenya through Official Development Assistance as a result of that announcement.
Answered by Lord Bates
The British High Commissioner to Kenya has requested a meeting with the Kenya Cabinet Secretary of Health alongside representatives from a number of other governments, to discuss the ban. The Cabinet Secretary has indicated she will convene a meeting once an internal investigation into Marie Stopes Kenya’s activities reports to her office in December. DFID Kenya officials met the Country Director of Marie Stopes Kenya at the end of November to discuss the matter. DFID Kenya does not currently fund Marie Stopes Kenya.