Health and Social Care (Re-committed) Bill

Gavin Shuker Excerpts

Wednesday 7th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nadine Dorries]

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, because I am coming to another interesting statistic that I have not yet included in my speech.

[Gavin Shuker (Luton South) (Lab/Co-op)]

rose—

[Nadine Dorries]

I will give way in a minute.

There is a huge disparity between the figures that show both where a woman received her counselling and her decision. In 2008, BPAS announced that the proportion of women who came to it and decided not to proceed with an abortion was as high as 20%. Unfortunately, freedom of information requests asking for the figures and the contracts with PCTs show that that is not true: the real figure is 8%, and sometimes even lower in some PCTs. I am not sure why an abortion organisation would say that its figures for women who do not proceed to an abortion are higher than they actually are.

[Gavin Shuker]

rose—

[Kate Green]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Nadine Dorries]

I give way to the hon. Member for Luton South.

[Gavin Shuker]

The hon. Lady has rightly probed the relationship between counselling and abortion on behalf of those of us who feel uncomfortable about that relationship. However, does she agree that 90 minutes does not seem like a long time for us to debate the implications of what is going on? The Bill is substantively about the nature of the NHS, and not about abortion provision. In that light, I urge her to consider whether it is appropriate to divide the House on this issue.

[Nadine Dorries]

I do feel that it is appropriate to divide the House on this issue, because I would like the amendment to be part of the Bill.