Consultation ends 11 August

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Consultation on buffer zones outside Scottish abortion clinics: please respond (ALL UK supporters eligible to respond)
Dear supporter,

In the wake of the Roe v Wade decision in the US, there have been increasing attacks on the pro-life movement in the UK. In particular, the abortion lobby is determined to ban pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics. Just days after the momentous decision in the US was announced, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon convened an “abortion summit”.

"The summit will consider in general terms what needs to be done to improve access to abortion services, including second trimester abortions, in Scotland,” she said.

"However, its main and most immediate focus will be on mechanisms to establish effective buffer zones.”



** Immediate threat
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Buffer zones are an immediate threat. Even before this great news from the US, a public consultation was launched on a bill proposed by Gillian MacKay MSP to bring in buffer zones around facilities that provide abortion in Scotland.

Ms Mackay’s proposals would criminalise all pro-life activities in the vicinity of abortion facilities. If this Bill becomes law, anyone taking part in a pro-life vigil in Scotland would be subject to a six month jail sentence for a first offence, and up to two years for subsequent breaches.

We have been asking supporters in Scotland to respond to the consultation. However, Gillian MacKay has been telling her supporters that they don’t have to live in Scotland to respond.
Respond to the consultation

It is important that as many people as possible respond to this consultation. Help protect women and children from abortion by defending pro-life vigils in Scotland.

The consultation is running until Thursday 11 August 2022. Please complete the questionnaire as soon as you can and encourage others to do the same.

To help you do this, we have produced a guide, which you can download below.
Consultation Guide ([link removed])
This briefing is intended to help you respond to the consultation, and to give suggestions about answering the questions.
Consultation ([link removed])
Please respond whether or not you live in Scotland. If this Bill passes in Holyrood, it is only a matter of time before buffer zones are introduced across the UK.

Please also forward this email to anyone you know who wants to defend pro-life vigils but may not have received this briefing from SPUC.

Please encourage as many people as possible to respond to the consultation on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill. It is vital that we have a large response from pro-lifers. If this Bill becomes law, there are likely to be other measures to prohibit public pro-life witness and the display of pro-life material in public areas.

Kind regards,
Alithea Williams
Public Policy Manager

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