Northern Ireland: Devolved Institutions Debate
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Baroness Suttie
Main Page: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Suttie's debates with the Scotland Office
(5 years, 11 months ago)
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Lord Duncan of Springbank
I welcome those remarks in the spirit in which they were delivered. The report of which the noble Lord speaks is important and the Government will consider its findings carefully.
Baroness Suttie (LD)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that an additional consequence of the continued absence of an Executive is that important social issues remain unresolved, such as the reform of the 150 year- old, outdated abortion laws in Northern Ireland, which continue to cause such distress and are leading women increasingly to adopt the dangerous practice of self-medicating and purchasing abortion pills online?
Lord Duncan of Springbank
Abortion is of course a devolved matter. None the less, it is important to stress that there are issues of conscience that need to be considered—but, again, we should not be relying on a Victorian law. It is time for change.