Cabinet material and briefings: Establishment of Safe Areas for the second round of applications

The purpose of the Safe Areas is to address any risk to the safety and well-being, and to respect the privacy and dignity, of any persons accessing abortion services, seeking advice or information about abortion services, or providing or assisting in the provision of abortion services.

These documents have been proactively released by the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Associate Minister of Health, Hon Willow-Jean Prime.

Titles of key advice papers:

• H2023024913 Ministerial briefing and Appendices: Establishment of Safe Areas for the second round of applications
• H2023028263 Ministerial briefing - Second round of Safe Areas to Cabinet Legislation Committee

Titles of Cabinet papers:

• Safe Area Regulations – Round 2 

Titles of minutes: 

• Report of the Cabinet Legislation Committee: Period Ended 1 September 2023 (CAB-23-MIN-0418)
• Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Regulations 2023 (LEG-23-MIN-0184).
• Report of the Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee Minute (CAB-23-MIN-0164). Some information has been redacted from this minute as it is out of scope of this proactive release. 
• Regulations for the Establishment of New Safe Areas under the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 (LEG -23-MIN-0117)

Some parts of this information release would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Where this is the case, the relevant sections of the Act that would apply have been identified. Where information has been withheld, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it. Some information has been redacted from the Cabinet minute as it out of scope of the subject of this proactive release.

Key to redaction codes:

• S 6(d) of the Act: to protect the maintenance of the law.
• S 9(2)(a) of the Act: to protect the privacy of natural persons, including deceased natural persons.
• S 9(2)(b)(ii) of the Act: to avoid prejudice to the commercial position of the person who supplied or is the subject of the information.
• S 9(2)(c) of the Act: to avoid prejudice to measures protecting the health or safety of members of the public.
• S 9(2)(h) of the Act: to maintain legal professional privilege