Abortion clinic 'buffer zones are not needed'published at 10:57 British Summer Time 13 September 2018
Oral Questions
House of Commons
Parliament
Amber Rudd, asks about the Home Secretary Sajid Javid's statement today on whether a buffer zone is needed around abortion clinics in the UK.
In a statement issued today, Mr Javid said a review of protest activity outside of abortion clinics found that anti-abortion demonstrations take place outside a small number of abortion facilities, just 36 individual places in the UK.
Campaigners have called for "buffer zones" barring anti-abortion protests outside clinics to be implemented across the UK.
The home secretary concludes in the statement that "introducing national buffer zones would not be a proportionate response, considering the experiences of the majority of hospitals and clinics, and considering that the majority of activities are more passive in nature".
Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, asks the minister to comment on what individual councils or areas can do to help if a national buffer zone is not going to be implemented.
Women's Minister Victoria Atkins says out of 363 premises that offer abortion services in the UK, only 36 have experienced demonstrations which is why, at the moment, the evidence suggests the current scheme, which allows councils to apply for public space protection orders which are targeted in their locality, should continue.
She says the matter will remain under review, as it is important that people needing to use these facilities are able to do so in a safe way.
Labour's Rupa Huq says she is pleased the report into abortion clinics has seen the light of day, but questions whether a dispropotionate number of women need to be affected before any action takes place.
Rupa Huq says there is other ways of resolving this issue without the blanket ban they have rejected.