Northern Ireland

Call to change north's abortion laws

Tory frontbencher and Northern Ireland minister Lord Duncan of Springbank has said it's time to change the north's abortion laws
Tory frontbencher and Northern Ireland minister Lord Duncan of Springbank has said it's time to change the north's abortion laws Tory frontbencher and Northern Ireland minister Lord Duncan of Springbank has said it's time to change the north's abortion laws

A Northern Ireland minister has said it is time to change the region’s abortion laws.

Tory frontbencher Lord Duncan of Springbank acknowledged the contentious issue was a devolved matter, but told peers at Westminster that "we should not be relying on a Victorian law".

His intervention is likely to prove controversial with the anti-abortion DUP, who are currently propping up the Tory government.

The 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, where abortions are illegal except where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger.

In some cases women travel to England for an abortion, which is now available for free after charges were scrapped last year.

The Tory minister spoke out as the Republic prepares to go to the polls on whether they want to liberalise Ireland's abortion laws.

Lord Duncan, who is A Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office, spoke in support of reform in Northern Ireland as he was pressed in the Lords over the lack of a devolved executive at Stormont.

Powersharing has been on hold since January last year after a row between coalition partners the DUP and Sinn Fein over a botched green energy scheme, which has widened to include a range of issues including the Irish language.

The issue was raised in the Lords by Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland spokesman Baroness Suttie.

She asked: "Does the minister agree that an additional consequence of the continued absence of an executive is that important social issues remain unresolved, such as the reform of the 150-year-old, outdated abortion laws in Northern Ireland, which continue to cause such distress and are leading women increasingly to adopt the dangerous practice of self-medicating and purchasing abortion pills online?"

Responding Lord Duncan said: "Abortion is of course a devolved matter.

"Nonetheless, it is important to stress that there are issues of conscience that need to be considered - but, again, we should not be relying on a Victorian law. It is time for change."

Proposals to relax Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws were rejected by Stormont in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Government has been told to bring the parties in Northern Ireland together for powersharing talks and "lock the doors" until the stalemate is broken.

During a debate in the House of Lords Labour leader Baroness Smith of Basildon - former Labour spokeswoman on Northern Ireland Angela Smith - said: "The Government has to get round the table and lock the doors until they come out with an agreement."

Lord Duncan said: "There is now a necessity that we must find a way of restoring good governance to Northern Ireland."

He added that "the preferred option, the sensible option, the right option" was to have an executive at Stormont.