The Scottish Authorities has been blasted for spending £10,000 to assist anti-abortion protestors have a "dialogue" with girls who need a termination.
A £10,000 contract was handed out for “civic mediation” providers regardless of widespread criticism of the protests.
MSPs are backing laws for so-called buffer zones exterior abortion clinics over complaints about girls feeling harassed as they enter. The Authorities backs zones in precept however is discussing the authorized points behind a curb.
A contract award by the Authorities now reveals there can be an try and hearken to the anti-abortion activists.
An outline states: “Civic mediation service to help dialogue between events who maintain vigils and protests exterior of abortion clinics, and people who are affected by them.”
The contract was awarded to Centre for Good Relation C.IC.
Again Off Scotland, a bunch campaigning for harassment-free buffer zones, tweeted: “WHAT??? @scotgov now spending 10k to get protestors to fulfill these affected by the protests. You’ve received to be joking!!
"The Ladies’s Well being Minister @MareeToddMSP PROMISED us this might by no means occur. Completely speechless. Extraordinarily disappointing."
Labour MSP Monica Lennon responded: “Ridiculous choice by @scotgov.”
Edinburgh Lib Dems councillor Lewis Younie stated: "Completely baffled @scotgov suppose it is a good concept. Hearken to Again Off Scotland! They know what they're speaking about!"
SNP MSP John Mason, who's against buffer zones, stated he's "very constructive" concerning the concept of mediation: "On any problem dialogue is an efficient factor."
A Scottish Authorities spokesperson stated: “All girls in Scotland ought to have the ability to entry well timed abortion care with out judgment or intimidation. Final 12 months, a working group was shaped to discover potential methods to unravel the issue of girls being harassed exterior abortion clinics as rapidly as potential.
"Quite a few items of labor have been commissioned by the working group to discover views on this space, together with this work and analysis to develop an in depth image of girls’s experiences because of the protests.
“The Centre for Good Relations has met individually with numerous events, together with Again Off Scotland as affected person representatives, to listen to their views. There are not any proposals in anyway to carry conferences between sufferers and protestors as a part of this course of.
"The preliminary scoping section is full and we're presently discussing with the working group and the Centre for Good Relations whether or not this work ought to proceed - not least as representatives of some protesters seem decided to hold on with their actions with out regard for his or her affect."
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