New powers compelling Stormont to implement abortion laws breach Belfast Agreement - Lockhart

By Q Radio News

Brandon Lewis has told of how women have travelled from Northern Ireland to London to undergo abortions during the pandemic as he justified the UK Government’s decision to introduce new powers around services in the country.

The Northern Ireland Secretary told MPs: “I fully appreciate that abortion is an extremely emotive subject, but we must not lose sight of the women and girls in Northern Ireland who are absolutely at the heart of this matter.

“It is unacceptable that there are women and girls in parts of the United Kingdom that cannot access these fundamental rights as they can elsewhere in the UK.

“Even though the law was changed some 12 months ago, services have not been commissioned yet. And that leaves many women and girls in vulnerable positions.”

Brandon Lewis told MPs how two women tried to kill themselves after being unable to travel from Northern Ireland to England for abortions due to flight cancellations.

He said: “I’ve spoken to many women and healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland. Some of their experiences are truly harrowing. Too many women and girls are still having to travel to other parts of the United Kingdom, to mainland Great Britain, to access this care.

“One story was of a much wanted pregnancy where sadly doctors informed the mother that the baby would not survive outside of the womb. This woman had to travel to London without her network of family support in order to access healthcare.

“She described to me a harrowing ordeal. Unable to travel back on a flight to her home because of complications and bleeding, stranded in London alone and grieving and in pain.

“I have been informed of other women, two other women, who have attempted suicide over the last year after their flights were cancelled and so they were unable to travel to England for proper care.

“The distress and unacceptable circumstances that women and girls continue to face at a time when local access should be readily available given the law change over a year ago, I am afraid is unacceptable.”

DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the UK Government’s introduction of new powers compelling Stormont to implement abortion laws breaches the Belfast Agreement.

Ms Lockhart (Upper Bann) told the Commons: “Can the Secretary of State also confirm that according to the devolution settlement, established by the Belfast Agreement, access to abortion services is a devolved issue and this action represents a breach of the Belfast Agreement?”

She added: “Does he not understand that at the heart of the devolution settlement was a respect for those areas which have been determined to be for the devolved authorities? There is still time for the Secretary of State to think again before he takes action which will undermine and further destabilise the devolved institutions.”

Brandon Lewis replied: “We have used every opportunity and avenue to encourage progress and offer our support over the last year, that is why I am so disappointed that we have reached this impasse. And we take this step now to further demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that women and girls can safely access services in Northern Ireland.

“Our priority is to ensure that the Department of Health take responsibility for commissioning full services, consistent with the conditions set out in the 2020 regulations – that is why we are moving forward in this way.”

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) said: “Is (Brandon Lewis) aware of the troubling reports of women being wilfully misled by anti-abortion organisations who encourage them towards anti-choice clinics disguising themselves as abortion services? These clinics then string the women along until they’re over 10 weeks so ensuring that they can’t access early medical abortions in Northern Ireland?”

Mr Lewis responded: “Even putting aside the legal and the moral obligations of this House to ensure that the right healthcare is being provided in Northern Ireland, doing nothing as some may make a case for, and I understand the sensitivities behind this, but doing nothing doesn’t actually mean that nothing is happening.

“Doing nothing actually means that people are at the kind of risk of problems, misleading guidance and advice that she has rightly outlined. There is also a risk that people turn to unofficial shall we say healthcare, inappropriate healthcare, that doesn’t give them the right sort of healthcare.”

Conservative former minister Sir John Hayes said: “Given what (Mr Lewis) just said about being misled, will he be clear that the assertion that Northern Ireland is violating its human rights obligations is simply untrue? CEDAW committee reports are not binding in law and the CEDAW convention doesn’t even mention abortion.

“So surely the minister must know the imposition of this measure against the expressed democratic wishes of the people of Northern Ireland is not only unjust and unwelcome but rooted in an entirely invalid assertion?”

Mr Lewis responded: “I would just say to (Sir John) that this is a matter of domestic law, I’ve been clear about this, it’s about the legal obligation that’s been taken forward from this House in 2019.”