British Parliamentary Committee Concludes Inquiry Into Country's Abortion Law; Will Consider Proposals To Relax Restrictions

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 29 Oct 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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The British Parliament's Select Committee on Science and Technology on Wednesday concluded an inquiry into the country's abortion law and will consider recommending changes that could relax current restrictions in a report planned to be released next month, London's Times reports. According to members of the committee, the changes appear to be safe and in line with medical developments.

One proposal would eliminate a requirement that women seeking abortions obtain the signature of two doctors before undergoing the procedure. Other changes include allowing nurses to perform abortions up to 12 weeks' gestation and permitting the procedure to be performed outside licensed clinics (Hurst, Times, 10/25). The British Medical Association in June at its annual conference voted 189-89 to approve a proposal recommending that the United Kingdom eliminate the requirement that women seeking abortions of a fetus of less than 13 weeks' gestation obtain the signature of two doctors before undergoing a procedure. The proposal would require only one physician to approve an abortion of less than 13 weeks' gestation after explaining the positives and negatives of the procedure.

BMA representatives at the meeting also voted to reject a proposal that would allow nurses and midwives to perform abortions, as well as a measure that would permit the procedure to be performed outside licensed clinics. Opponents of the proposals said that surgical abortions are highly complex (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/29). According to the Times, the committee's report likely will suggest that research supports the current upper time limit of 24 weeks' gestation for most abortions. It also likely will call for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to take over publishing guidelines for practitioners and women seeking abortions, the Times reports. The guidelines currently are produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which some antiabortion advocates claim has members with a vested interest in performing abortions (Times, 10/25). The committee also is examining recent findings on issues such as the long-term effects of abortions on women's health and whether infants born at younger than 24 weeks' gestation can survive, London's Guardian reports (Ward/Butt, Guardian, 10/24).

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David Steel, who wrote the country's 1967 law legalizing abortion, on Wednesday at the Global Safe Abortion Conference said, "I have always argued that if abortion is sadly necessary, it is desirable that it should be carried out as early as possible." He added, "Many argue that the two-doctor requirement causes undesirable delay, and since 1967 many of our European neighbors have legislated for abortion up to the 12th and 13th week of pregnancy without such a requirement" (Satter, AP/Google.com, 10/24). In terms of decreasing the upper time limit for abortions from 24 weeks' gestation, there "needs to be convincing evidence of viability earlier than that to justify a further change," Steel said.

Junior Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said there is no reliable medical or scientific evidence to justify a further reduction. "We are looking at the (medical) consensus quite clearly and the figures we already have," Primarolo said, adding that any changes to the existing limit would have to be for the House of Commons "to decide" (Guardian, 10/24).

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