Devolving abortion rights to Scottish Parliament

[stargirl1701]

I read this today in The Scotland on Sunday. I find it very worrying. We could end up replicating what happens in NI.

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

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

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.

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

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

Thanks George.

That makes zero logical sense to me, but still.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Well said DoctorDonnaNoble