Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the fact that abortion remains a devolved issue in Northern Ireland, why they were required to bring the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 to Parliament.

Her Majesty’s Government was placed under a clear legal duty to bring forward regulations on access to abortion services under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019, given the Northern Ireland Executive was not restored by 21 October 2019.

The Government has delivered Regulations, which initially came into force on 31 March 2020, and these have now been approved by Parliament to remain in place as the law on access to abortion services in Northern Ireland.

The Regulations deliver equivalent outcomes in practice to the rest of the UK so that women and girls in Northern Ireland can enjoy similar rights in accessing abortion services.

The Government stands ready to provide whatever support and guidance we can to both the Northern Ireland Minister for Health and his department to assist them in progressing work to set up full abortion services as soon as possible, consistent with the Regulations.