A move to add provision for safety zones around abortion centres will be made in the House of Keys today.

The detailed consideration of the Abortion Reform Bill continues today and Ralph Peake (Douglas North) will move for a new clause to be introduced.

It would create ’access zones’ for hospitals and other premises where abortion services could be provided and also create similar zones around the homes of medical practitioners providing the served or the surgeries they work at.

These zones would have restrictions that would prevent anti-abortion protests or ’engagement in pavement interference’. It would also ban people from repeatedly or continuously observing or lingering in the area or harassing anyone.

It proposes a maximum penalty of 12 months’ custody.

Other offences under the clause would including photographing, filming or in anyway ’graphically recording’ a patient or person providing the services, or to repeatedly approach someone.

The new clause has the support of the pro-choice lobby. It is in response to concerns that hard-line anti-abortion protestors could intimidate staff and patients or attempt to film or photograph those using services.

Although Mr Peake’s plans were made known before last week’s sitting, for technical reasons, the new clause was only due to be considered today. That was because the added provisions mean that the long title of the bill - which spells out all its aims - will need changing if it is adopted.

Some of the key points of the Abortion Reform Bill have been dealt with, but other aspects of the draft legislation remain for consideration at the clauses stage.

Last week, MHKs voted against amendments tabled by Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) that would have reduced the proposed time limit from abortion on request, from 14 weeks to 12 weeks, and abortion for serious health reasons or serious social concern from 24 to 22 weeks.

He also made an unsuccessful attempt to remove the provision of abortion being permitted on ’serious social’ grounds in the 15-24-week period.

There was a successful amendment, to introduce a new clause to the bill, which would outlaw sex-selective abortions. Another amendment has removed a provision that would have ensured pregnant women who bought abortion pills illegally over the internet could not be prosecuted.

In addition to Mr Peake’s proposals, there is plenty more debate to be had, with clauses covering the issues of conscientious objection by health professionals, ’informed consent’ and the duties to be taken on by the Department of Health and Social Care to be debated.

On top of that, although Mr Robertshaw has failed once with an amendment to change the definition of ’health’ in the bill - to remove reference ’social well-being’ but include reference to ’person or foetus’ - the actual clause containing the definitions has yet to be voted upon in in its entirety.

In theory, that means a further amendment could be tabled in an attempt to change the definition, although whether the outcome would be different is another matter - particularly when attempts to remove reference to social issues in later clauses failed.

On more than one occasion last week, MHKs went into ’whole house committee’ mode, which offers a more flexible approach to debate than the usual rigid procedures. But actual votes on amendments and clauses have to be made under normal rules.

That means certain issues, which have already been debated, could arise again with votes still needed on certain amendments and clauses.

But the key components of the time limits have been addressed. They include the provision that will permit abortion on request up to 14 weeks, and for serious medical or social grounds from 15-24 weeks.

In addition, an attempt to insert a provision that any abortion procedure must first be signed off by two doctors - rather than one as stipulated in the bill, as written - was defeated.