PRO-CHOICE campaigners have criticised the Scottish Government for scrapping a ministerial working group on buffer zones around abortion clinics.
Back Off Scotland has released a statement branding the decision as “ill thought-out and premature” with Green MSP Gillian Mackay’s Abortion Services Safe Access Zones Bill – which would make it illegal for anti-abortion protesters to demonstrate outside clinics – not yet formally lodged in Parliament.
The likes of Clare Bailey – the former Northern Ireland MLA who got legislation passed there – have criticised the slow place of the Scottish Government on the issue with it now behind the rest of the UK on introducing buffer zones.
Back Off Scotland said it has been “kept in the dark” about the working timeline of the bill as well as being “frozen out” of the ministerial working group.
In a statement, the group said: “Scrapping the buffer zone working group before a bill has been formally introduced in the Scottish Parliament seems ill thought-out and premature.
“Not only were campaigning groups like ours – who represent the lived experiences of those affected by the protests – frozen out of this group, we’ve also been kept in the dark about the working timeline of this bill.
The Scottish Government have scrapped the ministerial working group on buffer zones. ❌ A statement from us: pic.twitter.com/0gBUMKDZYN
— Back Off Scotland (@backoffscotland) May 3, 2023
“It’s regretful Scotland is now the only nation in the UK to not have passed buffer zone legislation and not offer women and staff protection from harassment when accessing healthcare.
“The delay in this legislation has nothing to do with carefully crafting a bill – there is no drafted bill, and even if there was there is a clear precedent set by bills passed in other legislatures – it is solely due to a lack of leadership on this issue by decision-makers who have had the power to make real change on this since 2020 but have sat on their hands.”
The National ran a three-day campaign last month called Give Us Space calling for buffer zone legislation to be implemented urgently.
The working group was formed back in November 2021 to consider short, medium and long-term actions to address anti-abortion activities outside healthcare settings and in particular focused on the possible use of local authority bye-laws as a way of enforcing buffer zones.
Now that work is done - and a conclusion drawn that the legislation should be implemented on a national level - the Government said it is now focused on supporting the drafting and development of Mackay's bill with the working group no longer necessary.
Mackay - whose bill received more than 12,000 consultation responses - said she remained "committed" to introducing buffer zones as soon as possible and would soon be publishing the consultation analysis.
She told The National: "I will be publishing the consultation analysis in the weeks ahead and will introduce the final proposal shortly afterwards. I am committed to introducing buffer zones as soon as possible and ending the harassment and intimidation that far too many people have faced for far too long.
"This group played an important role at the start of the process, and I am very grateful for the work that they have done to help in building a consensus for safe access zones and to support my bill."
Women's health minister Jenni Minto: “The ministerial working group was formed in November 2021 to consider short, medium and long term actions to address anti-abortion activities which take place outside of healthcare facilities providing abortion services.
"We are clear that delivering national legislation is best and most secure route to ensure buffer zones are delivered and sustained.
“A significant proportion of the group’s work was considering the use of Local Authority bye-laws to potentially deliver the zones.
"That work has concluded, and we are now fully focused on supporting the drafting and development of Gillian Mackay MSP’s national Abortion Service Safe Access Zones (Scotland) Bill. We will continue to take forward discussions with stakeholders to ensure that robust and effective legislation is introduced as soon as possible.”
