Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department had discussions with (a) the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the decision to extend the Northern Ireland abortion scheme to include the provision of free travel to women resident in Northern Ireland from low-income backgrounds.

The judgement in June 2017, in the case of R (on the application of A and B) v Secretary of State for Health, confirmed My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State's powers to extend equal access to women from Northern Ireland. There was no legal requirement to consult on this specific aspect of the scheme and no formal consultation took place.