Campaign reply - Please oppose giving the NI Secretary new powers to impose abortion on Northern Ireland.

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about abortion. 

I completely understand what an incredibly emotive issue this is, and I appreciate the strength of feelings on both sides. It is for this reason that, as with other matters of conscience, the Government adopts a neutral stance on abortion and allows Conservative MPs to vote freely according to their moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. This is a convention which I support wholeheartedly.

 

I know that making a decision regarding abortion can be extremely difficult, and I believe that we must do all we can to support women to make an informed decision, taking into consideration all their options, with medical professionals offering impartial advice. I will continue to do all I can to ensure plenty of information is available to women making enquiries relating to abortion including all options available to them. 

 

The approach to abortion in Great Britain is set out in the Abortion Act 1967, which states that two doctors must certify that, in their opinion, a request for an abortion meets at least one and the same ground laid out in the Act. These grounds include “risk to the life of the pregnant woman”, and “substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped”.

 

Guidance for doctors on how to comply with the Act has been issued, which stipulates that registered medical practitioners should be able to show how they have considered the particular facts and circumstances of a case when forming their opinion. Full details can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-doctors-on-compliance-with-the-abortion-act.  

 

I understand that Stella Creasy MP has indicated that she will table an amendment to the Bill of Rights Bill guaranteeing the constitutional right to an abortion. The legislation has not yet formally progressed through Parliament. As I am sure you can appreciate, I would not wish to pre-empt the upcoming debates, but the Government is clear that abortion is matter of conscience, and I don't think there is a strong case for change. I do not believe that these issues should be settled through the courts rather than settled as it is now settled by honourable members in the House.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.