Passion For Life.

PRIME MINISTER MUST FOLLOW THE 1990 PRECEDENT SAYS CARE

Following the tabling (Tuesday) of an amendment to the 2007/8 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to extend abortion to Northern Ireland, social policy charity CARE in Northern Ireland is today calling on the Prime Minister to follow the Northern Ireland procedural precedent set in relation to abortion in the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

On June 21st 1990 the then Conservative Government urged its Members to support an amendment to keep Northern Ireland’s legal arrangements regarding abortion and thereby respect the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland.

Tabled by Kenneth Clark, the then Secretary of State for Health, this amendment was crucially distinguished from the other two abortion votes that it went down with it, which were both free votes.

Speaking from the dispatch box Mr Clark said of the three provisions, ‘They are amendment No. 31 and new clause 5, both of which are subject to a free vote for Conservative Members, and amendment No. 54, [the Northern Ireland amendment maintaining the current law on abortion in the province] on which we shall urge Conservative Members to vote in favour.’

The Northern Ireland amendment was carried 267 votes to 131.

Stuart Noble, CARE in Northern Ireland spokesman said, ‘The imperative for following the 1990 precedent is even greater for the current Labour Government because it introduced devolution, the Assembly has made its opposition to the extension of the ’67 Act to Northern Ireland very clear and the Government has in any event made it plain that it wants to devolve criminal justice – and thus abortion.’

Dan Boucher, CARE’s Director of Parliamentary Affairs at Westminster said, ‘As an Englishman who spent 6 years working in the context of devolved government I can only say that the neo-imperialist arrogance of the English led group of MPs who put down this amendment to impose the ’67 Act on Northern Ireland beggars belief. Everyone knows that all the Northern Ireland MPs and the vast majority of its MLAs are completely opposed to the extension of the 1967 Act toNorthern Ireland. Gordon Brown must show leadership and intervene to ask Labour Members to reject this amendment.’

Representatives from across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland have questioned the tabling of the amendment. DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson noted, “This amendment is not based on any lofty notion about people in one part of the United Kingdom not having the same rights as others. It is about circumventing the expressed opinions of the Northern Ireland populace.”