Abortion Regulations: Northern Ireland

Lord Russell of Liverpool Excerpts

Monday 8th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie [V]]

I totally agree that people have strongly held views on this matter. I reassure the noble Lord that the regulations can be amended in Northern Ireland, should that be wished in the future.

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Russell of Liverpool) (CB)]

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown? No? I therefore call the noble Baroness, Lady Stroud.

[Baroness Stroud (Con) [V]]

My Lords, one of the concerns with these regulations is that they make provision for abortion for non-fatal disability up to birth—something that, as we have just heard, 78 Members of the Assembly voted against this week. There are so many ways in which these regulations are concerning but, given all that we have been focused on in the last few months around protecting lives equally, it is extraordinary to me that the Government should present such a discriminatory provision, which is in direct violation of paragraph 85 of the CEDAW report. Will my noble friend the Minister explain how he will ensure that these regulations will not enable abortion on the basis of non-fatal disability to birth, and, as importantly, that they do not perpetuate a stereotype?