Scottish Catholic Observer

The parliamentary officer for CARE for Scotland has written to Wendy Alexander, committee convener for the Scotland Bill, asking whether, in principle, abortion should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

In the letter Gordon Macdonald (above) has flagged up what he calls ‘unjustifiable inconsistencies’ of legislative power on abortion in Northern Ireland, where the issue of abortion is devolved to the National Assembly, while the power to legislate on abortion for Scotland lies with Westminster.

“The Calman Commission considered this issue and concluded that there should be no change in the current powers of the Scottish Parliament with regard to abortion,” Mr Macdonald says in his letter. “However, the commission did not address why the situation should be different for Northern Ireland or why (on constitutional grounds) euthanasia should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament and abortion reserved to Westminster.”

Noting that the Scotland Bill Committee is currently considering the proposed legislative consent motion regarding the bill, Mr Macdonald asks them to consider the matter ‘and provide a view as to whether, in principle, abortion should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.’

“If not, please address why this subject should be devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, but not the Scottish Parliament and on what grounds a difference of approach is justifiable with regard to devolving the power to legislate on abortion and on euthanasia,” he asks.