Adjournment debate on Wednesday, 15 July 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Martin Salter. The answering member was Paul Goggins.

Abortion Law (Northern Ireland)

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on abortion law in Northern Ireland.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 496 c73-96WH
Session: 2008-09
Department: Northern Ireland Office
Chamber / Committee: Westminster Hall
Proceeding contributions: Nadine Dorries | 496 c93WH (Link to this contribution) Is my hon. Friend aware that, contrary to some of the evidence that we have heard that abortion is t...; Speaker | 496 c93WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Before the Conservative Front-Bench spokesman resumes his speech, may I point out that the Mi...; Laurence Robertson | 496 c93WH (Link to this contribution) I always look forward to hearing the Minister, so I will bring my speech to an end. The hon. Member ...; Paul Goggins | 496 c93-4WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Martin Salter) on securing this debate. ...; Jacqui Lait | 496 c94WH (Link to this contribution) Can the Minister explain why abortion is a criminal justice matter in Northern Ireland and a health ...; Paul Goggins | 496 c94-5WH (Link to this contribution) I will go on to explain the reasons for that. The Government have a well established policy going b...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c95WH (Link to this contribution) Does the Minister remember that all the gay rights that were recognised within the law in Northern I...; Paul Goggins | 496 c95-6WH (Link to this contribution) That is a different situation for a number of reasons. My hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, North ...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c96WH (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister give way?; Paul Goggins | 496 c96WH (Link to this contribution) I cannot, because my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington raised the issue ...; Diane Abbott | 496 c89WH (Link to this contribution) Like all hon. Members in this Chamber—I think—I believe that any abortion is a tragedy. However, let...; Nadine Dorries | 496 c89WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Lady give way?; Bob Spink | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) As a GP, does the hon. Gentleman share my utter revulsion at the number of late-term abortions due t...; Alasdair McDonnell | 496 c88-9WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is right. Some of us face a conundrum. For 30 years I have worked with women in s...; Alistair Carmichael | 496 c91-2WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait). It is a shame that she did not...; Laurence Robertson | 496 c92-3WH (Link to this contribution) I will put forward the Conservative party's view on the logistics of the matter and then make one or...; Diane Abbott | 496 c89-90WH (Link to this contribution) I am afraid that time is against me. In July last year, I tabled an amendment to the Human Fertilis...; Jacqui Lait | 496 c90WH (Link to this contribution) I have been involved in this debate for more than 40 years, and we have heard today all the argument...; Nadine Dorries | 496 c93WH (Link to this contribution) On a slightly different point, does my hon. Friend agree that contrary to some of the evidence that ...; Laurence Robertson | 496 c93WH (Link to this contribution) There is a case for reviewing the upper limits of abortion. I voted to reduce the limits. My hon. Fr...; Nadine Dorries | 496 c87WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Lady give way?; Emily Thornberry | 496 c87WH (Link to this contribution) No. There are good things about Northern Ireland, and many good things have happened there. Its eco...; Martin Salter | 496 c87WH (Link to this contribution) Would my hon. Friend allow me to put on record that the reason for having this debate today is nothi...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) No, because others wish to speak. If we cannot grab back the power that we are about to devolve to...; Speaker | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) I intend to call the Front-Bench spokesmen at 20 minutes to 11. Three speakers remain to speak befor...; Alasdair McDonnell | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Lady Winterton. I did not intend to speak, but I ...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c87WH (Link to this contribution) I fully understand that, but I am speaking on my own behalf. I wish that we could go back on the mis...; Mark Durkan | 496 c87WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend said that Northern Ireland is more socially liberal. She offered as evidence gay prid...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) I respect the hon. Gentleman, but I do not agree with him. I believe that individual women should be...; Bob Spink | 496 c88WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Lady give way?; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend for that point. It is also interesting that out of the 18 Members of Parliam...; Martin Salter | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) I ask the hon. Gentleman a simple question: is he in favour of allowing an abortion for a woman who ...; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c86WH (Link to this contribution) No; I am finishing my remarks, Lady Winterton, as you asked. It is interesting to note that, when s...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c86-7WH (Link to this contribution) Many people feel very strongly about this matter, and I am one. Some may know that my family comes f...; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c85-6WH (Link to this contribution) No, I am sorry. If the hon. Lady catches your eye, Lady Winterton, I am sure that she will be called...; Ann Cryer | 496 c86WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) With the greatest respect, the hon. Gentleman cannot expect me, as a parliamentarian, simply to answ...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) It is interesting that, whenever we come to talk about the matter, an emotive example is always give...; Martin Salter | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) Yes or no?; Gregory Campbell | 496 c85WH (Link to this contribution) Is not my hon. Friend touching on the very nub of the issue? The debate and resolution will be found...; Mark Durkan | 496 c81WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Lady Winterton. The hon. Member for Reading, Wes...; Ann Cryer | 496 c80-1WH (Link to this contribution) No, I am sorry. If I give way, I will not start again, because I am finding this so difficult. At t...; Mark Durkan | 496 c81-2WH (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Gentleman for that because many of us in Northern Ireland get a bit fed up with Bri...; Martin Salter | 496 c81WH (Link to this contribution) Let me make it clear to the hon. Gentleman that I said that we would be pygmy politicians if we shie...; Mark Durkan | 496 c83WH (Link to this contribution) I do not want to dwell on that, because I want to conclude, but I was taking up the hon. Gentleman's...; Martin Salter | 496 c82-3WH (Link to this contribution) Let me make it clear that that was not the point that I was making. I was merely pre-empting an argu...; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 496 c84-5WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Lady Winterton. I believe that when Members of P...; Robert Key | 496 c83-4WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Lady Winterton. I had the good fortune to grow up...; Gregory Campbell | 496 c80WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Lady give way?; David Simpson | 496 c79-80WH (Link to this contribution) No, I will not; I shall be finished in 30 seconds. Rather than making Northern Ireland like the rest...; Ann Cryer | 496 c80WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Martin Salter) for raising this subject. It is ...; Speaker | 496 c78WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Before I call the next speaker, I make a plea for contributions to be as brief as possible, b...; Martin Salter | 496 c76-8WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. That is why we are here today. A culture of secrecy c...; Julie Morgan | 496 c76WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate. I do not know whether he took part ...; Martin Salter | 496 c76WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. for her intervention, which is in the spirit of my early-day motion 1754 and early-d...; Martin Salter | 496 c79WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; David Simpson | 496 c79WH (Link to this contribution) My speech will be short, so I will not give way. What I have described is an anti-democratic stance...; Jacqui Lait | 496 c79WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; David Simpson | 496 c78-9WH (Link to this contribution) I welcome you to the Chair, Lady Winterton. I congratulate the hon. Member for Reading, West (Martin...; David Leslie Taylor | 496 c75WH (Link to this contribution) I would guess that this is one of the rare debates in which my views and those of my hon. Friend are...; Martin Salter | 496 c75WH (Link to this contribution) I will touch on some of these points a little later, but I have already highlighted the inconsistenc...; Emily Thornberry | 496 c76WH (Link to this contribution) One way forward, which would not be popular with all of us—compromise is always required—might be to...; Martin Salter | 496 c74WH (Link to this contribution) I am well aware of the strength of feeling on this issue. We are nothing—we are pygmy politicians in...; Diane Abbott | 496 c74WH (Link to this contribution) Is my hon. Friend aware that, in addition to tabling an early-day motion, I tabled an amendment to t...; Martin Salter | 496 c74-5WH (Link to this contribution) I have great affection for the hon. Gentleman, but his argument blows apart if localism is taken dow...; Bob Spink | 496 c74WH (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the nearer to the people the decision is taken, the purer the dem...; Martin Salter | 496 c73-4WH (Link to this contribution) No, I will not. The single exceptions are Anna Lo from the Alliance party and Dawn Purvis from the ...; Martin Salter | 496 c74WH (Link to this contribution) No. We did not devolve this issue to Scotland. There are, in my constituency and others, people fro...; Jim Dobbin | 496 c74WH (Link to this contribution) Will my hon. Friend give way?; Martin Salter | 496 c73WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mrs. Winterton. When I was first elected to Parl...; David Leslie Taylor | 496 c73WH (Link to this contribution) Will my hon. Friend give way?; Martin Salter | 496 c73WH (Link to this contribution) No. I well remember campaigning with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on a cr...; David Leslie Taylor | 496 c73WH (Link to this contribution) Will my hon. Friend give way on that point?
Subjects: Devolved matters Abortion Women Equality Northern Ireland
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Abortion Law (Northern Ireland)

Secondary information

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