THE Scottish Greens will lead a Holyrood debate on bringing in “buffer zones” outside abortion clinics.
The party’s health spokesperson Gillian Mackay will today praise the Back Off Scotland campaign and call for the introduction of 150m buffer zones – also called protest-free areas – around clinics that provide abortion services across Scotland.
It comes after SNP MSP John Mason faced backlash last month for attending an anti-abortion protest outside a clinic at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which he described as a “vigil”.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Mackay said: “The Covid pandemic has shone a light on the way people access healthcare services, and the need to remove barriers to people getting the help they need.
“It reminds us that access to healthcare is a right, and the importance of that right has been writ large in the last 18 months.
“It therefore seems obscene that at this time, protesters would choose to launch a campaign to stand outside abortion and sexual health clinics to make accessing these services even more difficult.
“What is clear is that protests do not need to be loud or physically aggressive to be intimidating.
“People should not be discouraged from attending medical appointments. Abortion particularly is a time-sensitive issue where a missed appointment can have serious implications.
“Protest that is targeted at preventing often vulnerable people accessing medical treatment cannot claim a moral high ground, and these have no place in healthcare settings.
“The notion of ‘buffer zones’ is a proven method of achieving this. In Australia and Canada, as well as some local authorities in England, these protest-free areas ensure that services are not obstructed.
“Today’s debate in parliament provides an opportunity to hear from all parties about how we might move this forward. The right to privacy and right to access legal, essential medical services must be protected.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel