Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 April 2024
30 Apr 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Deputy Presiding Officer, I thank you for the opportunity to speak. For once, I mean that. I realise that my views and those of the people for whom I speak today are probably in the minority—possibly a very small minority, in the Parliament—but I believe that it is important that minority views are heard at Holyrood. It gives increased credibility to the Parliament and to all our parties.
I note that the Scottish National Party has long been a party that is a big tent, or a broad church. We are united by our commitment to Scotland, but we hold a range of views on many issues, including the economy and social policy, with some members being more liberal and some being more conservative. I want that range to continue. It does not mean that one side needs to defeat the other but, instead, that we hold a healthy tension and respect one another’s angles on things.
Some people have said that the bill is nothing to do with abortion itself but is purely about buffer zones or safe access zones. I disagree. The bill and the debate are very much about abortion. Others have said that I oppose abortion only on religious grounds. Again, I disagree. Fundamental to all this is the question of when life begins. Does life begin at conception, at birth, or at some point in between? That is more of a scientific or medical question than a religious one.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13015, in the name of Gillian Mackay, on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill at sta...
Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green)
Green
I am delighted to open the stage 1 debate on the general principles of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill. I thank the Health, Social ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I am grateful to Gillian Mackay for giving way and I thank her for her leadership on this very important and excellent bill. Ms Mackay was kind enough to mee...
Gillian Mackay
Green
I will come to some of the things that Mr Cole-Hamilton and I discussed shortly. As, I hope, the chamber will understand, much of the report’s detail is st...
Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
SNP
I apologise to Gillian Mackay for not being able to speak to her ahead of making this intervention. The stage 1 report was fascinating, and Ms Mackay has my ...
Gillian Mackay
Green
Absolutely. I reassure Mr Doris that the number of sites that are currently protected represents those that are designated under the Abortion Act 1967. Any o...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Clare Haughey to speak on behalf of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. 14:47
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests in that I hold a bank nurse contract with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As convener of th...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Does the member think that the police will be able to put such an exemption into practice with regard to what is silent prayer and what is somebody simply re...
Clare Haughey
SNP
Mr Mason’s point reflects some of the discussions that the committee had and some of the evidence that we received, regarding silent prayer, both from people...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I advise members that we are very tight for time this afternoon, so members will have to accommodate any interventions in their speaking time allocations. ...
The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health (Jenni Minto)
SNP
It is my privilege to support the bill. I thank the committee for its consideration. The bill raises important issues and I appreciate its thorough and thoug...
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
On the same topic that I raised with Gillian Mackay, which was the potential reduction of the size of the buffer zones, does the minister recognise that thos...
Jenni Minto
SNP
I recognise what Mr Cole-Hamilton says, and I am happy to have further discussions with him on that. Today, because it is a source of particular concern fo...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
How will we police that?
Jenni Minto
SNP
If Mr Gulhane will allow me, I am just coming on to that in my speech. I can whole-heartedly say that that is not the case, because, again, only the impact ...
Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. For the past few weeks, my inbox has been full of letters from constit...
Elena Whitham (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)
SNP
Does Meghan Gallacher agree that women have been silently judged for hundreds of years in going about their daily life? The bill will seek to address that in...
Meghan Gallacher
Con
Good points are raised by Elena Whitham. For me, it is about ensuring that women have safe access to those clinics. That is the fundamental principle of the ...
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
In opening the debate for Scottish Labour, I thank the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for producing its stage 1 report, the clerks for assisting the...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
On behalf of the Green Party group, I congratulate our colleague and friend Gillian Mackay on introducing the bill to the Parliament, and I congratulate all ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I congratulate Ms Mackay on her leadership on the subject—as I did in my intervention. I also thank action groups such as Back Off Scotland and other stakeho...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We now move to the open debate. 15:27
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
This is a very important debate, and I thank Gillian Mackay for all her work, as well as her office, her bill team and the Health, Social Care and Sport Comm...
Gillian Mackay
Green
Will Rona Mackay reflect on the fact that, because of how healthcare is delivered in Scotland, a whole load more services are affected by protests in Scotlan...
Rona Mackay
SNP
I completely agree with that. The unintended consequences of the protests are off the scale. The view reflected that of many individuals and organisations t...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests as I am a practising national health service general practitioner. It is importa...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Deputy Presiding Officer, I thank you for the opportunity to speak. For once, I mean that. I realise that my views and those of the people for whom I speak t...
Elena Whitham
SNP
Will John Mason give way?
John Mason
SNP
Let me just finish this point. I hope that it is possible to discuss the subject and bill in a calm and reasoned way, even though I accept that just discuss...