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MP seeks to lower abortion limit | MP seeks to lower abortion limit |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Britain needs to send a "less casual message" about abortion, an MP has said as she launches her bid to reduce the upper limit from 24 to 20 weeks. | |
Nadine Dorries says Britain risks becoming Europe's "abortion capital". | |
Her amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill would lower the upper limit. | |
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said he believed the original limit "stood the test of time" but MPs would be given a free vote on the issue. | |
Both sides of the debate are lobbying MPs ahead of a possible vote on the issue later this month. | Both sides of the debate are lobbying MPs ahead of a possible vote on the issue later this month. |
'Commonsense approach' | |
Ms Dorries, a former nurse who has made several previous attempts to reduce the upper limit, launch her campaign saying "Britain has 200,000 abortions a year, or 600 a day. That is just too many, we must slow down on abortion." | |
The Tory MP said she respected "a woman's right to choose" but added: "It is now time to adopt a more moderate, commonsense approach to abortion." | |
The best research, which looks at every birth rather than a selected sample ... failed to show any reduction since 1995 in the threshold of viability below 24 weeks Dr Evan HarrisLib Dem MP | |
She argues that increasingly babies born at 24 weeks are surviving. | |
The prospect of a vote on reducing the upper limit has prompted campaigners on both sides of the debate to lobby MPs. | The prospect of a vote on reducing the upper limit has prompted campaigners on both sides of the debate to lobby MPs. |
At Commons question time earlier, junior health minister Ann Keen said only 12% of babies born less than 24 weeks into pregnancy, survived past their first birthday. | |
'Truly appalling' | |
She said there was "no evidence of a significant improvement" in survival rates in the last 18 years in the UK. | |
Lib Dem MP Evan Harris, a former hospital doctor, added: "The best research, which looks at every birth rather than a selected sample ... failed to show any reduction since 1995 in the threshold of viability below 24 weeks." | |
And Health Secretary Alan Johnson said "as an individual", he did not want to see the law changed and believed the original legislation had "stood the test of time". | |
But Conservative MP Philip Hollobone said it was "truly appalling" that in England in 2006, there were 59,687 abortions by women who had already had at least one abortion. | |
Medical organisations, including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, have said they are in favour of the 24-week limit. | Medical organisations, including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, have said they are in favour of the 24-week limit. |
MPs who agree with the current limit are expected to put forward a proposal to relax abortion laws by scrapping the need for two doctors to agree to a termination and allowing nurses to carry them out in the early stages. | MPs who agree with the current limit are expected to put forward a proposal to relax abortion laws by scrapping the need for two doctors to agree to a termination and allowing nurses to carry them out in the early stages. |
MPs will be given a free vote on any abortion-related amendments when the bill is debated. | MPs will be given a free vote on any abortion-related amendments when the bill is debated. |