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Deputy Tom Binet
Minister for Health and Social Services
BY EMAIL 16th July 2024 Dear Minister,
Health and Social Security Panel Termination of Pregnancy
Following the update the Panel received on 6th June 2024 in a Quarterly Hearing and the statement made during Questions in the States Assembly on 25th June 2024 regarding the Termination of Pregnancy Law, where the Panel understood that the work is focusing on one interim change this Term of Office (regarding access to termination of pregnancy services) and the rest of the wider work would cease to progress until 2026, post-purdah. The Panel would be grateful if you could confirm if this is still the current position? Are there any other critical areas that need to be changed urgently or brought forward? For example, do you believe that charging for access to this health care is appropriate? Even in cases of rape?
The Panel understands that the one amendment you will be making aims to enable the provision of a service for women on short-term visas who are not ordinary resident and have not been here for 90 days', the Panel would be grateful for a written update into this work. Please could you confirm if the work is still underway and due to be finalised by the end of 2024?
The Panel is also aware that you were aiming to replace someone in the Policy Department and recruit an additional Policy Officer to ensure that matters are taken forward. Please could you provide an update on the two roles needing to be filled and, if they have not yet been filled, what the estimated timescales are?
Please could you also clarify if there have been any further changes to the development of this work or if any additional work relating to this workstream is planned? How will the feedback from the completed consultation be used to form the next stages of your work in this area?
The Panel would be grateful for your written response within five working days of receipt of this letter, 23rd July 2024.
We look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,
Deputy Louise Doublet
Chair, Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel
Scrutiny Office | States Greffe | Morier House | St Helier | Jersey | JE1 1DD Tel: 01534 441080 | Fax: 01534 441077 | email: scrutiny@gov.je