Abortion in Northern Ireland

Scott Benton Excerpts

Thursday 25th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

The hon. Gentleman has outlined the strength of feeling, and as I said earlier, I appreciate that there are strong feelings on this issue. It is a sensitive issue across the United Kingdom—we refer to Northern Ireland, but I know that people have strong views on this across the House and across the country. He has also outlined, I would argue, why it is right that we ensure and the Department of Health ensures that women and girls have access to proper quality, qualified healthcare and support in Northern Ireland, as they would elsewhere in the United Kingdom, to ensure that they are not being treated unofficially, potentially by people who are not properly qualified to assess the genuine individual needs of any given case. A medical professional is, and that is why it is right that this is done in the way that it is elsewhere in the UK and they get the proper support that they should be and are entitled to.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

There is nothing more important than the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but this relationship needs to be built on mutual respect, not coercion. These abortion regulations are a democratic and constitutional assault on Northern Ireland. Can my right hon. Friend explain why he has taken on new powers to enforce measures on abortion that were predicated on the continued absence of a sitting Assembly, when that Assembly has now been in situ for over 14 months and has voted against the first section 9 regulations?

[Brandon Lewis]

As I have said, the legal duties imposed by a significant majority of Parliament in mid-2019 are such that I have an ongoing role legally in this issue, and that duty did not fall away with the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. My clear preference is and has always been that the Department of Health takes responsibility for delivering this healthcare, and to that end, we have given every opportunity and offered support to the Minister of Health and his Department to take this forward for more than a year now, but no progress has been made. While Parliament considers these regulations, we will continue to engage with the Minister of Health and the Executive to try to find a way forward over the coming weeks before any direction is considered to be given.