08.10.12
Government has ‘no plans’ to change abortion limit – Cameron
Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted there are no plans to bring forward any legislation to change the time limits for abortion, following health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s comments this weekend.
In an interview with The Times, Hunt expressed his support for the limit to be reduced to 12 weeks. Equalities minister Maria Miller also recently spoke of her support for a reduction to 20 weeks, down from the current limit of 24.
Their comments highlighted the advances in medical technology, which mean that significantly premature babies can survive outside the womb much earlier.
Cameron said Hunt was entitled to hold his individual view, but said that there was no move to change the law.
He said: “They are totally entitled to hold that view but people need to know the Government has got no plans to bring forward any legislation in this area and any vote that does happen will be a free vote.
“I personally have voted for a modest reduction from the current limit of 24 weeks because I think there are some medical arguments for that. But I don't agree with the 12-week limit and that's not the Government’s policy.”
Some have suggested that Hunt’s intervention is part of a concerted attempt to ‘soften the ground’ for a reduction in the limit – by announcing his support for 12 weeks, it could make a reduction to 20 weeks seem more reasonable.
Professor Wendy Savage, a gynaecologist and campaigner on women’s rights, said: “The number of abortions that take place over 20 weeks is very small. Of those a considerable proportion are of foetuses which have got a congenital abnormality.
“I think the majority of the population think that if somebody has got a foetus that, if born, will have a severe disability they should have the right to choose whether or not to continue with that pregnancy.”
Polls suggest that only a very small minority of the public want abortion made illegal, but around 35-40% of people back a reduction. Women tend to be around twice as likely as men to support a reduction in the time limit.
Yet A Life spokesman, Mark Bhagwandin, said: “The UK’s abortion laws are antiquated and fail to take into consideration a modern reality in which it is easy to establish as biological fact, the humanity of the baby inside the womb. In the age of information it is hard to hide this fact. It is therefore no surprise that most people, especially women, in this country support a reduction in the time limit on abortion in the UK.”
Department of Health statistics show that 91% of abortions are carried out under 13 weeks.
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