Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024

3 Notification of proposed protected premises etc.

(1) Subsection (2) applies where, after section 1 comes into force, abortion services are intended to be provided at premises (“proposed protected premises”) being—

(a) a building that is, contains or forms part of a hospital, or

(b) a place that is approved under section 1(3) of the Abortion Act 1967 for the purposes of that section but does not include a place forming part of a class of place that is so approved (see section 1(3A)(a) of that Act).

(2) The operator of the proposed protected premises must notify the Scottish Ministers of the day on which the operator intends to start providing abortion services at the proposed protected premises.

(3) Where the Scottish Ministers receive notification under subsection (2), they must update the list maintained under section 2(3)(b).

(4) If, after section 1 comes into force, the Scottish Ministers become aware that abortion services are being provided at protected premises and no notification has been given in respect of the protected premises in accordance with subsection (2), the Scottish Ministers must update the list maintained under section 2(3)(b).

(5) Where the Scottish Ministers update the list in accordance with subsection (3) or (4), the day specified for the purposes of section 2(4)(e) as the day on which the safe access zone takes effect must be no earlier than the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the list is updated.