Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Written Statement of 23 October 2017, on equalities, HCWS192, whether her Department consulted with (a) Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) hon. Members on extending the Northern Ireland abortion scheme to include provision for free travel to an abortion provider in England for Northern Ireland residents from low income backgrounds before making that statement.

The provision of abortion services in England for women from Northern Ireland is a matter for the Government. There is no legal requirement to consult on this specific aspect of the scheme, and no formal consultation took place. Patients in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who meet financial hardship criteria are eligible for support with travel costs for NHS treatments. There is no justification to exclude women from Northern Ireland from this scheme.

This does not change the position in relation to the provision of abortions in Northern Ireland, which is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Our proposals do not include the provision of any services in Northern Ireland.