The House of Keys has voted to adjourn consideration of the Safe Access Zones Bill until September, halting progress on the private member’s legislation ahead of the next general election.

Members backed an adjournment motion by 16 votes to six, delaying the Bill’s clauses stage until after the Keys is dissolved.

The motion, moved by Peel and Glenfaba MHK Kate Lord-Brennan, superseded an earlier proposal from Rushen MHK Dr Michelle Haywood to pause proceedings until April 28.

Dr Haywood’s Bill seeks to introduce 150-metre safe access zones around abortion providers, medical premises and schools, with the aim of protecting those accessing services from harassment and intimidation.

Opening the debate, Dr Haywood argued existing legislation did not go far enough. She said: ‘The Public Order Act is reactive. It’s not preventative. It requires police officers to wait until the behaviour becomes threatening, abusive or disorderly before they intervene.

‘Lawful doesn’t necessarily mean harmless, and harm doesn’t always present as aggression.’

Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper supported the proposals, citing incidents during the Covid-19 vaccination programme and more recent concerns involving schoolchildren.

‘In my constituency, there were school kids going to school, being hassled, being harassed, being subject to some quite inappropriate behaviour,’ he said.

Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher also shared a personal account, describing how her son and others were ‘shouted at and even physically grabbed’ while attending a school vaccination session, adding: ‘This was so distressing for them.’

However, several members voiced strong opposition.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge described the Bill as something that should go ‘to the incinerator’ and labelled it ‘toytown legislation’, while fellow Onchan MHK Rob Callister said he had ‘deep concerns’.

Home Affairs Minister and Middle MHK Jane Poole-Wilson questioned whether the approach was appropriate, citing potential resource implications.

Following the debate, Dr Haywood said on social media the decision showed ‘the will of the House was to kill it off for now’.