Abortion site buffer zones ‘matter of urgency’, campaigners tell Home Secretary

Buffer zones outside abortion clinics must come into force as “a matter of urgency”, campaigners have said in a letter to the new Home Secretary.

The groups, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, have appealed to Yvette Cooper to meet them to discuss their concerns about delays to implementation.

Final guidance on how the safe access zones would work under the Public Order Act had been due to be published “no later than spring 2024”.

It has been more than a year since royal assent was granted for the Act, as part of which MPs voted to bring in legislation prohibiting protests within 150 metres of clinics or hospitals providing abortion services in England and Wales.

Those supporting the law have raised concerns that it could be watered down in practice if silent prayer is not banned, while anti-abortion groups have said this would threaten their rights to freedom of expression and religious belief.

Harassed

A letter, also signed by bosses at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, MSI Reproductive Choices UK and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said that due to the previous government having “failed to bring these zones into force”, people at clinics “continue to be routinely harassed as they seek to access or provide abortion care”.

The letter said: “As providers and representative medical bodies, we were particularly alarmed at the end of last year by the proposed non-statutory guidance consulted on by the former home secretary which would not, in our experience, protect either women or staff from this persistent presence.”

Draft guidance which went out for consultation in December raised concerns among pro-choice campaigners, with some claiming it did not reflect the debate in Parliament, when MPs voted against attempts to allow silent prayer outside clinics under the new law.

The proposed draft guidance said prayer itself within the zone “should not automatically be seen as unlawful” and added that “where an individual is praying, but their conduct is also intrusive, this is likely to be an offence”.

The letter added: “The failure to include so-called silent prayer or ‘consensual communication’ in the activities covered by the law ran counter to the settled will of Parliament and would have left almost without exception the current routine anti-abortion presence in place without challenge.”

In her position as shadow home secretary in 2022, when a majority of MPs voted to support proposals to introduce buffer zones, Ms Cooper said: “Serious harassment of women and staff on their way into abortion and contraception clinics is deeply distressing and unacceptable.”

Calling for a meeting with either Ms Cooper or a minister in her department “to discuss our experiences and concerns, and update us on a firm timetable for next steps”, the groups said in their letter that they “know that you believe, like us, that these zones are essential in keeping patients and staff safe from harassment or intimidation”.

‘Matter of urgency’

The groups said they wanted confirmation that the Home Office will be seeking to introduce safe access zones “as a matter of urgency”, and that guidance on how they will work addresses concerns raised by providers in last year’s consultation.

Right To Life UK has previously said there are already laws to prevent harassment and intimidation and argued there is no need for “draconian legislation that criminalises peaceful activities” such as silent prayer.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is fully committed to protecting women’s rights and fully condemn anyone being harassed or intimidated for exercising their legal right to access abortion services.

“We are thankful for this letter and will respond in due course.”