- Conference
- 2022 Virtual National Women's Conference
- Date
- 8 October 2021
- Decision
- Carried
“This Conference notes:
Across the country there are services offering pregnancy advice and terminations. These types of medical centres attract protesters who hold vigils, hand out leaflets and intimidate those on their way to access services.
This has an impact on the wellbeing of those women accessing this type of service and also has a detrimental effect on those who are simply going into work who have to run the gauntlet of this type of intimidation.
Many of these clinics are in ordinary residential areas and this is resulting in residents, schoolchildren and local business’s becoming exposed to this type of protest, which can include the handing out of graphic materials, shouting and at times the use of megaphones.
This Conference believes:
That a woman has a fundamental right to choose regarding termination of their pregnancy;
That those attending appropriate healthcare have the right to do this without fear or intimidation;
That those who work in services have the right to go to work without fear or intimidation;
That those who travel past (e.g., because their place of work, home, school or college is in the immediate area) also have the right to do so without fear or intimidation.
Conference notes the following:
There is legislation, such as Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). For a PSPO to be put in place a council needs to receive a substantial amount of complaints prior to carrying out a consultation.
There is a proposed bill in Parliament to put a 150-metre Buffer Zone around clinics. The Buffer Zone is unlikely to have support from Parliament in time to make it into legislation.
There is on-going concern raised by MPs on this issue and in a statement in Parliament on 9 November 2020, the Home Secretary said “…… we are considering whether more work should be done to protect those accessing or providing abortion services….”
A PSPO is therefore the quickest way forward but will need support from a number of sectors.
This Conference asks National Women’s Committee to:
1)To continue to campaign on supporting Buffer Zones and PSPOs. In particular to work with the NEC and Labour Link to support the work of Rupa Huq MP (Ealing), leading a cross-party group of MPs on an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to get buffer zones included in the bill.
2) Produce a draft letter for branches to send to MPs and Councillors requesting that a consultation takes place as soon as possible to support the safety of patients, workers, and the general public around the locality of this type of healthcare facility.
3) To join the British Pregnancy Advice Services’ Campaign “Back Off”, that campaigns for Buffer Zones and inputs into community groups. https://back-off.org/.”
ENDS