The Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 force all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland – including faith schools – to teach girls that they have a right to abortion. They also forbid schools to teach about abortion according to their ethos.
SPUC is running a campaign calling for the regulations to be withdrawn.
The regulations were strongly criticised by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. The points raised by the committee included that the implementation schedule is rushed, that there has been no public consultation, and that regulations to ensure that parents have a right of withdrawal will not be in place when the policy is implemented.
On Wednesday, MPs voted by 373 to 28 to approve the regulations. Despite abortion usually being a conscience issue for MPs, the Government whipped the vote, meaning Conservative MPs had to defy the party to vote against the regulations.
Mr Millar was amongst 20 Conservative MPs who voted against the measures in the House of Commons on Wednesday night.
237 Conservative MPs, including the Prime Minister and the Welsh Secretary, voted for them and, as a PPS, Mr Millar would have been obliged to do the same. However, he argued that it was an issue of conscience for him, so he stepped down.
Explaining his decision, Mr Millar said: “Parents across the UK are becoming more concerned about the RSE their children are being taught in schools. I share those concerns – I have also been contacted by parents in Aberconwy worried by what is happening in Wales…
“I could not in good conscience represent parents and at the same time ignore the conclusion of the House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee that more time was needed to consult with parents in NI before enacting this Statutory Instrument.”
Outrageous Government railroading
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “We thank Mr Millar for his brave stance in defying these awful regulations. After imposing one of the most permissive abortion regimes in the world on the people of Northern Ireland, the Government is now railroading through these draconian measures in schools, with no consultation with parents or schools, and almost no parliamentary debate.
“Forcing schools to promote and facilitate abortion is not a neutral or value-free position. The regulations, therefore, are aimed exclusively at suppressing the expression of views (religious or otherwise) opposed to abortion. Schools and parents in Northern Ireland are being denied the right to choose what their children are taught on this vital subject.
“These regulations seek to impose an ideologically biased view of abortion on all schools, contrary to legal protections against religious discrimination. They are also being rushed through without consultation, and in breach of parliamentary convention. They should be withdrawn. We urge supporters in Northern Ireland to join our campaign, calling on the Secretary of State to withdraw these regulations.”
