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I probably did not word that question particularly well. I appreciate entirely that, were the bill to pass, police officers would be asked to do something that is relatively difficult. However, the point that I was trying to get at is that we already ask that of the police in a range of other circumstances, do we not? Some attempt is needed to understand a person’s intent. The example that I am giving is that you can stand silently outside somebody’s house and it is not a crime but that, if you are doing it as part of a pattern of behaviour of stalking and harassing the individual in that house, that is part of an offence. We already ask police officers to make such judgments in the first instance. Obviously, we then ask the procurator fiscal and the courts.

I will pick up on a couple of Ivan McKee’s questions.

Colin Poolman—my first question is for you and is about the impact on trade union activity, short of picketing. I accept what you said about none of us being able to think of an instance where there has been industrial action at a facility that provides abortion services. However, at other settings in which your members have taken industrial action across the UK, is it common to get complaints from patients about a perceived impact on them on entering a facility if there is a picket line outside?

Professor Cameron, following up on what you said in response to Ivan McKee about the support that is provided, those who engage in protests say that one of their key reasons for doing so is that they are providing a discussion about alternatives to abortion that they do not believe is provided in healthcare settings. Will you expand on your answer to Ivan McKee about the process and the support that is available to women who come seeking abortion or reproductive healthcare services?

You mentioned the most commonly handed-out leaflet, which committee members are aware of and which includes misinformation about things such as the risk of breast cancer. Have you seen examples of that having an impact after it has been handed to a woman who is seeking an abortion? Have your staff had to have a discussion other than the one that was expected because of concerns about information in the leaflet?

The next revision or update to the plan is due relatively soon. If you would share with the committee any submission or proposal that you make to the Government on that, we would find that valuable for the purposes of our inquiry.

Suzi, you said that you welcome the ASL action plan but that there is frustration about the lack of progress. I want to tease out that issue with you. If others on the panel have a perspective on it, it would be useful also to hear from them. Is the issue that the plan is good but it is not being implemented quickly enough or well enough, or is it that, even if we implement everything in the plan, we will not make the progress that is required? The solutions to those two things will be different. If the plan is the problem, we can revise it, but if the plan is good and the issue is its implementation, the committee will need to understand what the barriers to that are.

Would anybody else like to come in on the question of the impact on other people in the facilities, such as hospital patients who access them for reasons other than reproductive healthcare?

On that final point about how recently most of those measures have been implemented and the lack of evidence about impact, is there even any anecdotal indication of the reaction of those who were for or against the measures? There is a difference between actual impact and perceived impact. In your research, were you able to even just pick up the reaction of those on either side of the debate once the schemes had been implemented in their areas? Did they feel that there was an impact?

The opponents of the bill—those who engage in or support the protests—will come and give evidence to the Parliament using arguments that you will be familiar with. One such argument is that, in part, they do not see their action as protest, but as an opportunity to offer advice and an alternative perspective to those who are seeking abortion or reproductive healthcare. It is important that you have the opportunity to answer that claim, so I am interested in your thoughts on the claim that they are offering advice and options that would not otherwise be provided. Lily, you addressed that somewhat in your opening remarks, when you said that they provided misinformation—which is of no surprise whatsoever. I am interested in the panel’s thoughts on that, and in hearing your responses to that claim.

I will be brief. Dr Ottley, I am interested to know how, in any of the examples that you came across, the legislation, ordinance or whatever it was engaged with the right to private property. One of the hypotheticals that we are looking at concerns what would happen if private residences fell within a zone. Hypothetically, if somebody had a house with a garden and a flagpole in the zone, they could put up a flag. Under the legislation, there would be questions about intent, the messaging on the flag and so on. Are there any examples of legislation that has had a clear interaction with private property rights and of that issue being resolved?