Christian group welcomes Bill to stop abortion for minor disabilities

(Photo: Unsplash/Aditya Romansa)

Christian advocacy group CARE has welcomed a new Bill aimed at ending abortion up to birth for treatable conditions like clubfoot or cleft lips. 

CARE spokesman James Mildred said that there was "obvious discrimination" with the current laws and that the Bill, if passed, would bring clarity to this area.

"The 1967 Abortion Act was amended in 1990 to allow for abortion up to birth in cases of 'serious disability'," he said. 

"Tragically, this has been interpreted to include treatable conditions like a clubfoot an cleft lip or palete."

Under current laws, babies with these conditions can be terminated up to birth.

The Bill is being backed by a cross-party group of MPs led by Fiona Bruce, The Sun reports.  The Christian MP's son was born with a clubfoot, which was successfully corrected by surgery and physiotherapy.

Mr Mildred continued: "Conditions like a clubfoot, and cleft lip or palete can be corrected, and there are many high profile examples of people overcoming these conditions.

"Since the 1990 change, societal attitudes towards those with disabilities have significantly improved and this is reflected in legislation like the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act.

"It's high time our abortion laws were reviewed by MPs and brought into line with the positive change in wider societal attitudes towards those with disabilities.

"Regardless of where MPs stand on the wider issue of abortion, here is a perfectly sensible change and we could urge all MPs to back it."