Nicola Sturgeon to chair summit on abortion and condemns protests in Glasgow

The First Minister spoke after anti-abortion protests have taken outside hospitals and clinics in Glasgow.

She said the protests were “deeply wrong “as they target women not lawmakers and cause “stress and anxiety” and she told protesters to protest outside Parliament instead.

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She said what was happening elsewhere in the world including the USA where the Roe V Wade ruling from the 1970s, which legalised abortion there, has been overturned was an “attack on the right of women to control our own bodies”.

Monica Lennon, Labour MSP had asked if the Scottish Government will “convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.”

Sturgeon condemned the protests outside sexual health clinics and agreed to set up the summit.

She said: “I am very happy to convene and indeed I will personally chair a round table summit to discuss buffer zones and indeed any other matters that need to be addressed to ensure safe and timely access to abortion services in Scotland within the current law.”

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Lennon “warmly welcomed” the commitment to a summit and said women in America and around the world felt legal rights were “slipping away”

John Mason, Glasgow Shettleston SNP MSP asked if the 24-week limit will be under review. He said: “Science and medicine has moved on since 1990 and many children are surviving at 23 weeks”.

The First Minister said: “No that would not be on the agenda. I don’t support reduction on the current time limit on abortion.

“On the contrary actually, I think the challenge in Scotland is to ensure women who need to, and let me repeat, that is something no woman does lightly, can access that right in safe and timely manner.”