Family Planning Association Reacts To The Dropping Of Abortion Amendments From The HFE Bill, UK

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 23 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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A Programme Motion from the Government has restricted debate on amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill to modernise the 1967 Abortion Act, including extending the act to Northern Ireland. This makes it impossible for the amendments on abortion to be discussed in the House of Commons today. Julie Bentley, Chief Executive, fpa said:

"We are extremely dismayed. The women of Northern Ireland are the real victims in today's events in parliament. They have been badly let down by the UK Government.

"We believed the HFE Bill could dramatically improve the outcome for women with unplanned and crisis pregnancies in Northern Ireland. But, yet again their needs have been passed over. How much longer will it be acceptable to deny women basic reproductive care on the NHS?

"fpa's Northern Ireland office supports women every day who desperately need an abortion and can't have one. Women who've been raped, and whose pregnancies have been diagnosed with fetal abnormalities are just some of the women who still won't have access to abortion in Northern Ireland.

"Despite today's setback, we're not giving up. We've raised the plight of Northern Ireland women nationally on an unprecedented level, shown there is support for abortion in Northern Ireland from the Northern Irish people and got backing from MPs who previously had never even thought about the issue.

"fpa will continue to lobby hard and vociferously to secure equal rights for the women of Northern Ireland."

fpa (Family Planning Association) is the only registered charity working to improve the sexual health and reproductive rights of all people throughout the UK.

Family Planning Association