Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Swann’s law test over NI abortions
Minister asks for legal advice on UK legislation
Lewis ready to bypass Executive & set up services
HEALTH Minister Robin Swann is to seek legal advice on a move by the British Government aimed at ensuring the full provision of abortion services in Northern Ireland.
Officials have taken further legislative steps at Westminster in a bid to break an impasse on the commissioning of fully-funded services.
Abortion laws here were liberalised in 2019 when Stormont’s power-sharing government had collapsed.
While individual health trusts currently offer services on an ad-hoc basis, the Department of Health has yet to centrally commission these.
The DUP, which is opposed to abortion, has refused to agree to the issue being tabled on the agenda of the Executive.
Brandon Lewis had given the administration a March 31 deadline to commission services but the Assembly is currently not functioning due to stalemate over the NI Protocol.
The Secretary of State has now moved to introduce regulations at Westminster that remove the need for Stormont’s Department of Health to seek approval from the wider Executive.
COMMITMENT
Mr Lewis has asked for a “clear and unambiguous commitment” from the Health Minister, who remains in post in a caretaker capacity, to progress the matter without delay.
If Mr Swann does not act, the regulations laid out by Mr Lewis empower him to commission the services himself.
In preparation for that scenario, Mr Lewis has established a team of medical experts within the Northern Ireland Office to work alongside the Department of Health and assess progress. He stated: “It is absolutely unacceptable the Executive and Department of Health have failed women and girls.”
In a statement Mr Swann said: “The Secretary of State’s written statement and new regulations will be given careful consideration by my department. “I will be seeking further legal advice, including with regard to a Minister of Health’s legal responsibilities under the NI Ministerial Code.” Grainne Teggart, campaigns manager for Amnesty International UK, said the move by the Secretary of State was “welcome and necessary”. However, DUP MP Carla Lockhart told BBC’S Good Morning Ulster it was “overreach” by the UK government into devolved matters.
It is absolutely unacceptable the Executive and Dept of Health have failed women BRANDON LEWIS SECRETARY OF STATE YESTERDAY