The issue of reducing the time period for abortions recently made the headlines as a number of religious leaders, including Scotland’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, called on the government to tighten abortion laws.
The Conference reasserted that there is never any moment when the foetus lacks human significance and reaffirmed its desire to see an end to late abortions.
It agreed however that there were “serious concerns” that needed to be addressed before a reduction in the time limit could be supported.
In particular, Conference representatives affirmed a report that highlighted the need to ensure that women considering abortion would be provided with sufficient pregnancy advice.“We must see the issue of late abortion in a broad context paying as much attention to the need for better support and guidance for pregnant women as specifics of the time limit,” said Anthea Cox, Co-ordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice.
The report also expressed a need to further consider provision of terminations under circumstances where there is direct physical threat to the life of the mother, or when new information about serious abnormality in the foetus becomes apparent at a late stage.
“It’s clear that women who have late abortions don’t do so lightly,” said Cox. “We need wisdom and an understanding of how both women and men are affected by late abortions.
“It would not seem to be necessary to change from our current position at this time.”
The abortion debate was reignited last week when the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor urged ministers to reduce the current 24-week abortion limit during a private meeting at the Department of Health.
Currently France, Germany and Italy have set their abortion limits at between 12 and 13 weeks gestation, but British Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has previously stated that she is not in favour of a reduction.
However, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said following the meeting, however, “It is accepted parliamentary practice that proposals for changes in the law on abortion have come from backbench members and that decisions are made on the basis of free votes. The government has no plans to change the law on abortion.”
