THE Scottish Government has insisted there are "no proposals whatsoever to hold meetings between patients" and anti-abortion protestors to discuss buffer zones.

There was anger yesterday after the Public Contracts Scotland website revealed details of a £10,000 tender awarded to the Centre for Good Relation in Kinghorn for “civic mediation service to support dialogue between parties who hold vigils and protests outside of abortion clinics, and those who are affected by them.”

After uncovering the contract, Back Off Scotland, a group campaigning for buffer zones, tweeted: “WHAT??? @scotgov now spending 10k to get protestors to meet those affected by the protests. You’ve got to be joking!!"

They added: "The Women’s Health Minister @MareeToddMSP PROMISED us this would never happen. Absolutely speechless. Extremely disappointing."

Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy tweeted: "What?! Mediation? Bringing people who have abortions together with their harassers?!

"This is unbelievable."

There have been increasingly large protests or vigils outside hospitals across Scotland in recent months. 

Earlier this year, more than 100 staged a demonstration outside Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Evangelical Christians have held a number of noisy protests outside the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow, where they have hectored people entering the facility and prevented staff from doing their job. 

Details of the push for dialogue between protesters and patients were first detailed in The Herald back in April after the publication of the minutes of a meeting of the ministerial working group on abortion buffer zones. 

At the time, the group - whose members include health ministers Maree Todd, and Ben MacPherson, as well as senior police officers, and representatives from health boards and councils - admitted that as abortion "is a highly sensitive subject that provokes strong views" it might be "difficult for common ground to be found."

It was the consultants from the Centre for Good Relations who first called for the engagement “with all interested parties."

According to the details published online, they were the only company to tender for the contract.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said there were no plans for mediation. 

They said: “All women in Scotland should be able to access timely abortion care without judgment or intimidation. 

"Last year, a working group was formed to explore possible ways to solve the problem of women being harassed outside abortion clinics as quickly as possible. 

"A number of pieces of work have been commissioned by the working group to explore views in this area, including this work and research to develop a detailed picture of women’s experiences as a result of the protests.

“The Centre for Good Relations has met separately with various parties, including Back Off Scotland as patient representatives, to hear their views. 

"There are no proposals whatsoever to hold meetings between patients and protestors as part of this process. 

"The initial scoping phase is complete and we are currently discussing with the working group and the Centre for Good Relations whether this work should continue - not least as representatives of some protesters appear determined to carry on with their activities without regard for their impact."

The government said they remained committed to working with Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who is seeking to bring in legislation that would introduce buffer zones n Scotland. 

Her Safe Access Zones law would allow for a 150-metre buffer around clinics hospitals and clinics. 

 

The Scottish Government initially discounted legislating for a national approach, saying councils could rely on byelaws to address the issue.

 

But the council umbrella body Cosla obtained a legal opinion disputing that.

A key obstacle to creating buffer zones is that protesters have a right to freedom of speech, and the UK Supreme Court has ruled legitimate protests in other contexts can be disruptive. 

Since Ms Mackay started her campaign, Nicola Sturgeon has come around to the idea of legislation and convened a summit on abortion services and buffer zones.

In June, the First Minister said she hoped that Glasgow and Edinburgh - the scene of religious ‘vigils’ against abortion and other protests - could trial buffer zones using bylaws as a short-term measure to prevent “fear, harassment or intimidation”.

She said the Scottish Government would fully support any “test council” through the “inevitable legal challenges”.