PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Abortion: Northern Ireland (17 October 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that the Central Booking Service will provide impartial advice to women from Northern Ireland between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020.

Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)

The United Kingdom Government funded Central Booking System (CBS) has been in operation since March 2018 as a single point of contact for women in Northern Ireland to access abortion care in England. As part of the grant agreement in place with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service the service is delivered to an agreed service specification. The package of care offered to all women includes:

- a consultation including impartial information/advice, and where needed, counselling with an abortion provider in England. This process will include an assessment of whether the legal grounds for an abortion in England are met;

- an abortion procedure;

- HIV and sexually transmitted infection tests; and

- choice of contraception from the abortion provider

The CBS, and abortion care provided under the scheme, will continue to offer the same service and care package to women from Northern Ireland to access in England between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020, as has been in place since March 2018. The only change is that all travel and, where needed, accommodation is now paid for, without any means testing.

Answered by:
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Conservative)
24 October 2019