HUMZA Yousaf has said no one should be “in any doubt” about his commitment to implementing buffer zones around abortion clinics in Scotland after a Government working group was scrapped.
Pro-choice campaigners have slated a decision to axe the ministerial working group on safe access zones ahead of Green MSP Gillian Mackay’s bill being formally introduced to Parliament.
Back Off Scotland said it was an “ill thought-out and premature” move, while the co-founders suggested they had been “kept in the dark” about the progress of the bill.
But speaking to The National on Wednesday at an anti-poverty summit in Edinburgh, the First Minister insisted he remained supportive of the legislation and the scrapping of the group was not a sign of the Government rolling back on the issue.
Asked about Back Off Scotland suggesting the Government were not taking buffer zones seriously, Yousaf said: “That’s simply not the case.
“I’ve been very unequivocal in my articulation around why we need safe access zones, I did so and said so during the course of the election contest and anybody who doubts otherwise I hope will be reassured by the fact I’m First Minister and I absolutely believe in introducing those safe access zones as quick as we possibly can.
“We’ve got to make sure they’re legally watertight and we’ll work with Gillian Mackay to ensure that’s hopefully the case.”
Back Off Scotland highlighted on social media that the push to protect women accessing abortion care from harassment started 20 years ago when a question on the matter was put to the Government by Carolyn Leckie of the Scottish Socialist Party.
She asked what plans there were to ensure women can access pregnancy termination services “free from harassment by anti-abortion campaigners”.
The Scottish Government have recently come under fire for not taking a lead on Mackay’s members bill, including from former MLA Clare Bailey who introduced the legislation in Northern Ireland.
Bailey insisted the Scottish Government needed to “pull the finger out” after the Supreme Court unanimously agreed her safe access zones bill was legally sound and did not interfere with human rights before Christmas.
The working group involved the likes of former women's health minister Maree Todd, represenatives from Scotland's councils and COSLA [Convention of Scottish Local Authorities], Police Scotland, Government officials and NHS experts.
Yousaf explained the working group had been set up to look at the possibility of council bye-laws being used to implement the zones, an idea which is now firmly off the table.
The FM added: “I’m really happy to speak to Back Off Scotland.
“That working group was in place in relation to when we were looking at local government bye-laws and how they might be able to create safe access zones.
“We’re now looking at a national approach to Gillian Mackay’s bill, so there will still be cross government working, they’ll be cross political working in terms of other political parties and we’ll continue to work closely with local government.
“Back Off Scotland or anyone else who has an interest in this should be in no doubt whatsoever about my commitment to introducing safe access zones around abortion clinics as quickly as we legally possibly can.”
