U.K. House Of Commons Votes To Maintain 24-Week Time Limit On Abortion

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 23 May 2008 - 9:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The United Kingdom's House of Commons on Tuesday voted to maintain the country's law allowing abortions during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, Reuters reporters. Lawmakers "passionately debated" for three hours proposals that would have lowered the time limit for legal abortions (Baldwin, Reuters, 5/20). The votes on a series of alternative limits of 12,16, 20 and 22 weeks' gestation were all rejected. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is opposed to a change in current policy, gave lawmakers in his Labour Party a "free" vote on the issue, BBC News reports (BBC News, 5/21).

Supporters of efforts to reduce the time limit argued that infants born at less than 24 weeks' gestation have a better chance of survival than when the policy was approved in 1990, but lawmakers opposed to the change said the claim is not supported by scientific evidence (Stringer, AP/Guardian, 5/20). During the debate, Health Minister Dawn Primarolo of the Labour Party told the Commons that although "there have been medical advances in care for premature [infants], only a small number born after 24 weeks' gestation can survive." Primarolo said there is no evidence showing a significant improvement in survival chances for infants born at 24 weeks' gestation.

According to Reuters, most European countries allow abortions until the 12th or 13th week of pregnancy and allow exceptions after the limit for cases in which the health of the woman or fetus is at risk. The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland have limits of between 22 and 24 weeks' gestation (Reuters, 5/20). Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania also have 24-week limits on the procedure, according to Member of Parliament Edward Leigh of the Conservative Party (AP/Guardian, 5/20). The votes on abortion by the House of Commons were part of the ongoing debate in the chamber on the "controversial" 1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill, BBC News reports (BBC News, 5/20).

Comments

MP Nadine Dorries, a Conservative Party member who led a campaign to reduce the time limit to 20 weeks' gestation, vowed to continue to advocate for a reduction. "A hard core of 80 or so MPs voted for every restriction that was on offer last night," Dorries said, adding, "They are clearly uneasy about how the current system is working" (AFP/Google.com, 5/21). MP Claire Curtis-Thomas of the Labour Party said that she supports abortion rights but added that she could not "accept" that the United Kingdom "keep the limit where it stands where there is a possibility of life."

Labour Party MP Kevin Barron, chair of the House of Commons health committee, said the decision to reduce the time limit "should be driven by science and not driven by some of the debate" on Tuesday. Labour Party MP Chris McCafferty said that it is "cruel, cynical, ill-informed and inhumane" to place restrictions on when women can receive abortions (BBC News, 5/21).

Other Provisions

In other votes to amend the Human Embryology and Fertilization Bill, House of Commons MPs on Monday voted 342-163 to reject a ban on "hybrid" human-animal embryos in stem cell research, the Washington Times reports. The chamber also rejected a separate amendment to ban so-called "savior siblings" that can provide genetic material for seriously ill relatives (Webb, Washington Times, 5/21).

In addition, the House of Commons approved an amendment that would eliminate a law requiring fertility clinics to consider the need for both a "father and a mother" before providing in vitro fertilization to women, BBC News reports. IVF clinics currently are required to consider the "welfare" of children born through IVF, including the need for a father. Lawmakers also rejected an amendment that sought to ensure children born through IVF have a "father or male role model" before a woman can receive IVF (BBC News, 5/20).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.