The Scottish Parliament will be given control over abortion law, Scottish Secretary David Mundell announced yesterday.
He said he could not see a “convincing constitutional reason” why it should not be devolved to Holyrood.
Making the announcement at the start of a Scottish Affairs Committee meeting in Westminster, he said the UK Government had reflected “very carefully” given the sensitive nature of the issue.
The transfer will happen in the form of an amendment to the Scotland Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Commons.
Mr Mundell confirmed he had informed Scotland’s deputy first minister John Swinney and insisted MPs would have the chance to debate the proposal on the floor of the chamber at the report stage of the legislation.
Proper engagement with interested parties would now follow, he added, as the matter moves forward.
Scottish Public Health Minister Maureen Watt welcomed the news, and insisted the Scottish Government had no plans to change the law, including the current time limit.
But north-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said that was not the point as a future government could hold a different view.
He added: “We certainly don’t want a position where abortion law is different on either side of the border.”
Scottish Labour’s equalities spokeswoman Jenny Marra accused Mr Mundell of making the decision “behind closed doors” and insisted the “safest way” to protect the current legal framework was for it to remain at UK level.
Liberal Democrat former Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael pointed to the numerous women’s groups in Scotland who oppose the move.
The Northern Isles MP added: “I shall want to hear their arguments before I decide how I shall vote on this.
“The Smith Commission said that more consultation was needed.”
The cross-party commission, which looked at further devolution, considered the issue, but did not include it in its final report.