§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if in view of the recommendation in the recent independent report of the multidisciplinary committee, "The Nation's Health, A Strategy for the 1990s," he plans to seek to extend the Abortion Act 1967 to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamNo. The Government believe that legislation to reform the abortion laws should not be introduced unless it is likely to command broad support in the Province. This policy has been followed by successive Governments and up to the present it has been concluded that support for a change in the law does not exist. The Government will keep the situation under review and will be prepared to modify their policy to take account of any significant shift in public opinion which may occur.