Abortion: Foster tells NIO to "back off" over abortion services

First Minister Arlene Foster has told the NI secretary to "back off" over the issue of providing abortion services in Northern Ireland.

The government has published regulations allowing Brandon Lewis to direct commissioning of the services.

Mrs Foster said it was a complex, controversial and legally challenging issue.

"But let us be clear, it is for the executive. It is not for Brandon Lewis," she said.

"The reason why he brought it to the House [of Commons] was that there was no devolution at the time.

"There is devolution now, and he should back off."

Earlier in the Commons, Mr Lewis said it was unacceptable that women and girls in NI could not access abortion services even though the law changed more than a year ago.

The NI secretary told MPs he recognised that abortion was an "emotive" issue.

But he added that too many women and girls were having to travel to other parts of the UK to access care.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has set out new regulations on abortion services in NI

He said two women tried to take their own lives after being unable to travel to England from Northern Ireland.

"The distress and unacceptable circumstances that women continue to face at a time when local access should be readily available given the law changed over a year ago is unacceptable," Mr Lewis said.

"It is only right that women and girls in Northern Ireland are able to make individual and informed decisions with proper patient care, provision of information and support from medical professionals."

'Women are being failed'

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, who was speaking alongside Mrs Foster at a joint Covid press conference on Thursday, said the executive needed to take a decision.

"My very clear view is that one year post the legislation being brought into effect, women are being failed access to modern compassionate healthcare," she said.

Ms O'Neill said Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey attempted to bring the issue on to the executive agenda on Thursday, but it did not make it on.

"I expect that the health minister will have to bring back new proposals to the executive, and the executive needs to take a decisions on this issue, and it should be to commission services," she added.

'Undermine'

Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019 and changes to NI's abortion laws came into force in March after Westminster acted during a period when the power-sharing institutions at Stormont were suspended.

However, the commissioning of full services has been delayed.

• Timeline: Abortion in Northern Ireland

The debate in Westminster on Thursday morning followed the tabling of an urgent question by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Carla Lockhart.

Ms Lockhart said access to abortion services was a devolved issue and that the action taken by the government was in breach of the Good Friday Agreement.

"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," Ms Lockhart said.

Party colleague Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party believes passionately in protecting the life of the unborn child.

The debate in Westminster on Thursday morning followed the tabling of an urgent question by DUP MP Carla Lockhart

"That is a view shared right across our society. It is the view of the majority in the Northern Ireland Assembly and what the government is seeking to do is, not only having imposed regulations on Northern Ireland on abortion, is then seeking to direct the Northern Ireland Executive to implement regulations they never signed up to," he said.

"Surely it should be left to local ministers to decide what services to commission and not for Westminster to impose its view in breach of the devolution settlement."

Earlier in the debate, Mr Lewis told the Commons of how two women tried to take their own lives after being unable to travel from Northern Ireland to England for abortions due to flight cancellations.

"One story was of a much-wanted pregnancy where sadly doctors informed the mother that the baby would not survive outside of the womb," Mr Lewis said.

"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 past year after their flights were cancelled and so they were unable to travel to England for proper care."

The regulations state that Mr Lewis is acting as required to uphold legal and human rights duties on NI abortion services.

Stormont's Department of Health has said the matter is "controversial" and any decision on abortion services must be made by the whole executive.

Eighty-eight MPs - including SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, the party's South Belfast MP Claire Hanna and Alliance's Stephen Farry - have offered cross-party support for the NI secretary's move in a letter to Stormont ministers.

On Tuesday, Mr Lewis said the decision to introduce new powers compelling Stormont to implement abortion laws has not been taken lightly.