Public Order Bill (Buffer Zone Amendment)
On Tuesday 18th October, the Public Order Bill completed its remaining scrutiny stages in the House of Commons. The Bill, that was introduced by the Government, seeks to expand the powers that the Police and judicial system have to restrict public protest. Darren, and Opposition MPs, continue to oppose the Bill for being very wide-ranging in scope.
One amendment that was accepted by the Government concerned creating buffer zones around abortion clinics to allow women and clinic staff members to enter clinics without disruption. Darren was away on a Select Committee visit so was unable to vote in the House that day but would have supported the amendment.
You can read Darren’s response as follows:
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the case for buffer zones outside of abortion clinics. As you may know, this amendment has now been added to the Public Order Bill.
I was unable to attend the debate itself as I was away on a formal Select Committee visit. Since I was away on parliamentary business, my vote was paired with a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP). This means that neither side votes to cancel each other out. You can read more about this process here: Pairing - UK Parliament.
Abortion is a sensitive and emotive issue, and I understand that there are strongly held views amongst my constituents. My view is that every woman has a right to choose, and all women should have access to a safe, legal abortion.
I think it is important that anyone considering an abortion receives impartial, non-directive and clinical information on pregnancy to make an informed choice. Given how difficult and stressful this decision may be, it is vital that women are able to access confidential medical and psychological advice and support without fear of harassment or intimidation.
Women seeking advice – and staff members in clinics – must feel safe. There have been occasions where this has not been the case. I am therefore pleased that an amendment was successfully added to the Public Order Bill that will introduce buffer zones. Everyone has a right to access healthcare without fear of intimidation and I support calls for buffer zones to prevent harassment outside abortion clinics.
More widely, I do not support the Public Order Bill. However, it passed to its next stage with Government support. In my opinion, it does not recognise the powers that the police and courts already have and the need to ensure that they can be used effectively. It does not address some of the key changes currently faced by the police and authorities, nor does it include an effective strategy to avoid disruption to essential services, and there is clear evidence that some of its measures will just not work.
In a democracy, people need the freedom to speak out and make their views heard. However, no one has the right to threaten, to harass or to intimidate others, to protest in ways that are dangerous or risk the safety or the lives of others.
In a debate on such a sensitive topic as this, it is important that we are all able to voice our views but do so in a respectful way. Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue and for sharing your views, which I will continue to bear in mind.
Yours sincerely,
DarrenDarren Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol North West