Health minister wants abortion law 'back on track'

Deputy Tom Binet says he's trying to get extra resources to fast track work on the abortion law

Jersey's health minister has said he is keen to getting the island's abortion law update "back on track" amid continued frustration at the lack of a long-term women's health strategy.

The 1997 abortion law was due to be updated this year, but Assistant Health Minister Deputy Andy Howell told a 6 June scrutiny meeting that work on the law had "unfortunately ceased".

This followed the announcement that the government had scrapped its stand-alone women's health strategy.

Health minister Deputy Tom Binet said the government doesn't necessarily need a strategy to do work, and he was "trying to get extra resources" to fast-track work on the abortion law.

Mr Binet said Mrs Howell's claims that work on the abortion law had stopped were "slightly exaggerated".

He said: "It has been slowed down simply because we have a lack of resources. I'm making some internal inquiries to see if we can beef up the policy department in order to bring things forward."

In the 6 June scrutiny meeting, the director of health policy Ruth Johnson said a complete update of the abortion law was planned for “the end of 2026”.

Mr Binet said he cannot comment on when the law changes would be ready but he was keen for it to be the end of the year as previously planned.

Deputy Lucy Stephenson says things in the island have changed since the abortion law was introduced 27 years ago

Backbencher Deputy Lucy Stephenson said the island's abortion law was "very out of step with other places".

A government report found more abortions took place in Jersey in 2023 than at any time since 2002.

Mrs Stephenson said things have "quite clearly" changed since the law was introduced in 1997.

"We know that there are women in Jersey who have to go to the UK because their laws are better, they have better rights there," she said.

Mrs Stephenson said it would be a "missed opportunity" if the government didn't use responses from a government consultation last year to progress work on the law.

"A waste of time, resources and energy", she said.

'Wrong message'

Mrs Stephenson said she was "disappointed" the women's health strategy was scrapped.

She said it sends out the "wrong message" to women in Jersey.

She said: "We have a health system... built by men, for men. I think it's time we take the experiences of women into account in a much stronger way. The only way we can do that is to take a wide look at how women are being are being treated as part of that system."

The former health minister Deputy Karen Wilson said getting rid of the stand-alone women's health strategy was not a strategic choice she would have made.

She said: "It's very disappointing, I think the voice of women has not been heard and what I would like to see is some change in that."

She also said it was "about time" the abortion law was updated.

"If we were talking about not reviewing any other area of policy for 27 years, there would be quite a bit of an outcry for this," she said.

Mr Binet said he was informed the women's health strategy was cancelled before he came to office and he had acted on that basis for the last five months.

Ms Wilson denied stepping away from resourcing the strategy while she was the minister.