Public consultation will be held on Scots 'buffer zone' bill
Abortion
A public consultation on a bill in Scotland which would see 150m 'safe access' zones around abortion facilities will be launched.
It's the latest step for the Abortion Services Safe Access Zones (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Scottish Green's Gillian Mackay MSP.
Ms Mackay has already run her own consultation on her bill in 2022. This latest consultation is part of Stage 1 when a lead committee, in this case the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, prepares a report and MSPs debate whether the legislation to go to Stage Two.
When the legislation was formally introduced into the Scottish Parliament, CARE for Scotland issued a statement, saying:
We are concerned that this Bill is based on an objectively false narrative that access to abortions in Scotland is being impeded. Terminations are occurring at record numbers, and dangerous ‘home abortion’ rules remain in place. The buffer zones debate has diverted public attention away from issues such as disability abortion, advances in technology that improve viability, moves to reduce abortions, and wider discussions about the drivers of abortion in Scotland.
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Public consultation will be held on Scots 'buffer zone' bill