By Bill Heaney
Green MSP Gillian Mackay is campaigning in the Scottish Parliament to have the current 40 Days for Life protests outside hospitals where abortions take place made illegal.
First Minister Humza Yousaf told MSPs at Holyrood today that the Scottish Government believes that patients and staff should be able to access abortion services free from intimidation and harassment, and from undue influence.
And that they have committed to fully supporting the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill that Gillian Mackay introduced to the Parliament.
Babies in the womb before birth. Women having abortions claim they are being harrassed.
He said: “As Gillian Mackay, more than anyone, will be acutely aware, the bill is currently being scrutinised by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.
“I extend my thanks to her for introducing the bill, and to all the witnesses who have provided evidence to the committee thus far. We will continue to support the bill as it makes its way through the parliamentary process, and I am hopeful that its protection will soon be felt by women across Scotland.”
The Bill is vigorously opposed by religious groups, including the Catholic Church in Scotland, who have responded to attempts to have the prayer groups outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital banned.
But Gillian Mackay said: “In recent years, we have seen reproductive rights go backwards in countries around the world such as the US, Poland and Brazil. However, there are glimmers of hope, with rights expanding in Argentina and Colombia, and the right to an abortion being enshrined in the constitution in France.
“Does the First Minister agree that safe access zones must be the first stop in advancing rights in Scotland, and does he believe that we should go further, including providing abortion in Scotland up to the legal limit, ensuring equitable access to in vitro fertilisation, and removing abortion from criminal law?”
Mr Yousaf said: “First and foremost, I make it clear that the provision and regulation of national health service abortion services within specified term limits should absolutely be a clinical, not a criminal, matter.
“I am happy to look at that issue in further detail. I know that there are nuances and complexities in opening up that issue and I am happy to discuss it with the member in due course.”
He added: “There have been improvements in the provision of later-stage abortions in Scotland, with all mainland health boards now providing abortion to at least 20 weeks’ gestation.
“Nevertheless, Gillian Mackay is right to push the Government and health boards to see what can be done even further on later-term abortions, and I am happy to ensure that the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care writes to her with further details of the actions that we, alongside health boards, are taking in that regard.
“Once Gillian Mackay’s bill has made its way through Parliament, we will begin a review of abortion law, which will focus on identifying potential proposals for reform.”
John Mason, an SNP MSP who is an avowed Christian, asked the First Minister to accept that no one is being harassed at those vigils and protests, and no one is being intimidated?
“It is largely a small group of elderly religious people who are standing outside those facilities. Does he not think that we are overreacting slightly with legislation on the matter?”
But Mr Yousaf refused agree. He said: “What is so important in this matter, particularly for men, is that we listen to the voices of women. Whatever John Mason’s view might be, women have given powerful evidence and testimony that they feel that harm is being done: they do feel harassed and intimidated.
“Even if, for whatever reason, John Mason was to discard that evidence—and I encourage him not to—he should listen to the clinicians at the services, such as Dr Greg Irwin and many others, who have spoken powerfully about the impact that those protests are having on staff.
“John Mason knows that I am a religious person. I pray. People can pray anywhere in the world, for whatever they want, so I do not understand why they have to go to an abortion service where women will then feel harassed and intimidated.
“Therefore, I believe that the legislation that Gillian Mackay has introduced should have the support of the whole Parliament. We in the Scottish Government will certainly support it.
“I say once again to John Mason that it is crucial that, instead of imposing their view on what the impacts or effects of protests are on women, men listen to the voices of women, clinicians and staff at abortion services and that he would also do well to do so.”
Labour MSP Carol Mochan insisted: “The protesters intimidate women at what is undoubtedly a challenging moment in their lives. Given the waiting list pressures across the NHS, has the First Minister had direct discussions with health boards to ensure that women can continue to access abortion services in a safe but timely manner, to avoid adding further anxiety to what is already a challenging time in their lives?”
The First Minister told the chamber: “Carol Mochan is right to raise that issue. We do not want anybody waiting longer to access healthcare than they have to. We know that the wait is far too long for a range of issues that affect women.
“In relation to the discussions that the Government and health boards have had on a range of issues that affect abortion and access to abortion services, and on some of the issues that Gillian Mackay raised, in which Carol Mochan might have an interest, in relation to later-term abortion, I am more than happy for the health secretary to write a detailed note to Carol Mochan.
“She is right to raise the issues that she raises, because nobody—particularly women who are accessing health services—should have to wait a minute longer than I am afraid they currently do.”
Abortion is a vexing issue. The destruction of life is a serious matter. Indeed, it is more than vexing.
Many woman who have an elective abortion regret later the choice that they made.
To propose therefore to ban people from a silent protest or asking folks to consider the gravity of an abortion is utterly wrong. I watched the case of the woman in England who standing alone and stationary with no placards or literature was arrested, cuffed and taken to be held in the local police station after she admitted she was standing praying in her head.
This I am afraid is the fascism that pervades our government. Or am I missing something. Maybe we should be able to euthanize old and sick who have passed their utility and who now place a burden on our society. Or even euthanize very disabled people. The Fuhrer and his regime had some thoughts on that that they put into practice – but yes, euthanizing is a debate under discussion too.