Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill

Baroness Hayman Excerpts
Report stage (Hansard): House of Lords
Wednesday 17th July 2019

(5 years, 4 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Duncan of Springbank Portrait Lord Duncan of Springbank
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Not as I understand it, no. It would not. If I am incorrect, I will happily correct the record.

Baroness Hayman Portrait Baroness Hayman (CB)
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I will attempt to be helpful. I think the focus on the 28 weeks comes from the Infant Life (Preservation) Act, which gave the number of weeks as that when we had the debates on the Act from the noble Lord, Lord Steel. As I understand from the Minister, the 1945 Act—which I am not familiar with—talks about viability and his solution to that problem was guidance that viability would have occurred by 24 weeks.