New powers to force through a very permissive abortion law on Northern Ireland involves an expansion of direct rule that rides roughshod over local decision making, according to the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The Church had previously expressed its total opposition to the imposition of abortion laws from Westminster, and expressed grave concern that the Secretary of State might compel the North’s Health department to implement them.

However, the Right Reverend Dr David Bruce described the new regulations as “radical, and unreasonably sweeping powers”, and said they go much further than had been expected.

“[T]he regulations laid before Parliament today drive a coach and horses through Northern Ireland’s hard won and finely balanced devolved constitutional settlement. These powers not only devalue Northern Ireland’s purposely unique system of negotiated government, they also give the Secretary of State the freedom to interfere directly, and at will, with every single department of devolved government”.

“For instance, the Secretary of State is seeking to be able to unilaterally direct what should happen in Northern Ireland’s schools, taking local power and decision making away from governors, teachers and parents on sensitive issues, therefore undermining the right of schools to embrace a particular ethos,” Dr Bruce said, in a statement.

The Moderator called the intervention ill-considered and irresponsible and said it undermines Northern Ireland’s fragile devolved settlement. He called for the powers to be withdrawn.