Devolving abortion rights to Scottish Parliament

Well said DoctorDonnaNoble

Just because you're Catholic doesn't mean you agree with everything. The difference in NI has far more to do with the evangelical Protestants than the minority of Catholics.

There are reciprocal arrangements fir all sorts of medical procedures. Recently paediatric cardiac surgery was halted at a hospital in scotland and children were sent to London instead.

Scotland is a seperate country - if abortion is devolved then it doesn't mean the law will automatically be changed.

If it is changed - well that's democracy.

I guess the Scots might want the freedom to keep the abortion law ad it is IF English law changed. I don't think that the scots are anymore religious than the English. There might be a higher proportion of Catholics in Scotland, but England had a higher proportion of Muslims. I expect that there are some atheists who do not want abortion completely liberalised.

I wouldn't bet on it being less liberal, either.

I would not bet on the Scottish position being more liberal if the 2 countries had different rules.

Ubik disadvantaged is probably the wrong word, sorry. Couldn't think of a better one. ATM the NHS in Scotland is often 'better' - free eye tests and prescriptions, for example, which are only available to Scottish residents. No reciprocal arrangements. My view is that wider, easier, access to abortion is a good thing. So if the Scottish system became more liberal (again not a great word, I can't really pin down a better one though) then that would disadvantage women in England IMO.

I certainly don't think if the Scottish law changed that there would automatically be a reciprocal arrangement - there isn't for anything else.

The people who want the Amendment, want a lower age limit (and ideally to outlaw), yes. However, the Amendment will fail, just like all the others.

In the extremely unlikely event it passes, someone would then have to raise a Bill in the Scottish Parliament to rewrite abortion law, which would be subject to all sorts of Amendments itself, possibly including up to term.

As Santana noted, there's no real appetite for change, so I don't see any repressive new legislation in the immediate future.

Is that too big a battle for a female leader to take on

Not following you - what has her being female got to do with it. She's the leader of a party, she's either up to the challenge or she isn't. She will have an opinion on it , most of us have although it doesn't surprise me she's hedging her bets.

I'm very sceptical about this. It is very difficult to put a case for later than 24 weeks which will carry popular support so I am not persuaded this is being raised for any reason other than to have a lower rate.

Sturgeon seems to be hedging her bets. Early in the year she opposed cuts to the limit but no extension either.

Is that too big a battle for a female leader to take on? Plus the sectarian issues it would unleash.

Thanks George.

That makes zero logical sense to me, but still.

www.gov.scot/News/Releases/2013/05/IVFservices15052013 Looks like IVF is devolved too. (I'm learning a lot tonight. :) )

Just to say that it's not illegal for Irish women to travel for an abortion - the X Case referendum in 1992 established this.

The posters in Abortion Support in Northern Ireland might find this interesting.

edinburgheye.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/goodbye-alex-salmond%EF%BB%BF/

Salmond's is of course a Westminster MP Holyroodrood but he has expressed the view the limit should be lowered to 20 weeks. Sturgeon, I don't know about.

I don't think there's any appetite for change.

I think IVF regulation is reserved? But I'm not 100% sure.

Yes I mean that if England and Scotland had different abortion laws - depending on how different obviously - it would mean that some women and girls would be wanting / needing to go to the other country.

It wouldn't be the same as accessing other healthcare - procuring an abortion outside of the legal time periods etc is illegal and prosecutable. So not really the same at all as coming under reciprocal arrangements, it's not just a matter of money.

Is there any appetite for changing abortion rules in Scotland? Are scots unhappy with the present rules?

Sorry 'women will not need to travel from scotland for abortion..'

Women are not to need to travel fur abortion from Scotland

You mean that women residing on England may travel to scotland fir abortion if it relaxed its laws? Im sure both nhs's would work it out - there are already reciprocal agreements for all sorts of events.

I think abortion is the only health issue not devolved. I can't think of any other, but I'm happy to be corrected if someone else knows better.

You mean abortion is the only thing not devolved, or the only thing on the list of 2 things that I could think of off the top of my head?

www.gov.scot/Publications/2004/01/18753/31686 We have our own laws about sectioning, it seems. (The things you never think of!) So, it seems abortion law is the only health issue reserved. (Dental and eye health are also devolved)

Ubik because if the Scots had a more relaxed approach then that would, well disadvantage English women isn't quite the right word, their position wouldn't change, but they would be at a disadvantage compared to Scottish women, same as NI women are at a disadvantage compared to rest of UK at the moment.

I suppose that is another point. Say there was a different law in each place. How would women be stopped from travelling? At the moment in NI and Ireland as well when women come here they turn a blind eye, although it is illegal what they are doing. How would that work if England and Scotland were different and women wanted (needed) to travel for abortion?

Hirples, well that's what I don't know, whether it is this one health issue. Do you know? For eg the law around sectioning under the mental health act, are they devolved? It's the only other thing I can think of, off the top of my head but I expect there's more.