Secondary Breast Cancer
Debate between Nadine Dorries and Jane Ellison(9 years, 1 month ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
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Jane Ellison
I am afraid that I do not have time to give way. We can speak after the debate; I apologise.
A lot of other things are going on in that area, but I will leave just a few seconds to my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire. However, I reassure Members that this subject is of huge importance to the Government.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Nadine Dorries and Jane Ellison(10 years, 9 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
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.
Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire) (Con)
The Minister is quite right that the Abortion Act does not state that the practice is illegal. Organisations such as Marie Stopes International operate under an ethical and professional framework in which they state that they will not perform abortions on the basis of sex selection. However, the chief executive of BPAS has said that
“there is no legal requirement to deny a woman an abortion”
if she wants to abort a female. The Government commission abortion services from BPAS and Marie Stopes. Does the Minister not think it is about time to have a closer look at BPAS, which is headed by a chief executive who condones sex-selection abortions?
Jane Ellison
That is exactly why we want to reissue the guidance on this matter. I cannot add to what I have said. I say with complete clarity that the Government’s view is that sex-selection abortion—abortion on the grounds of gender alone—is illegal and we will report it to the police if we are given evidence of it.