Oral Answers to Questions

Fiona Bruce Excerpts

Tuesday 25th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

15. When he plans to publish his Department’s new guidelines on sex-selective abortion.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Jane Ellison)]

The Government will publish more detailed guidance on compliance with the Abortion Act 1967 shortly. That will include guidance on sex-selection abortions and restate our view that abortion on the grounds of gender alone is unlawful.

[Fiona Bruce]

Britain’s biggest abortion provider, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, has advice on its website claiming that the law is “silent on the matter” of gender-selective abortion. In a leaflet, it actually states that it is not illegal. How does the Minister propose to address that, and to send out the clear message that strong legal action will be taken against anyone who is involved in that wholly unacceptable practice?

[Jane Ellison]

Although the Abortion Act does not mention gender specifically, the Government are clear that abortion on the grounds of gender alone does not meet the criteria set out in the Act. If evidence comes to light that doctors or organisations are sanctioning abortions for that reason alone, we will refer it to the police.