Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to repeal sections (a) 58 and (b) 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

The Government maintains a neutral stance in terms of changing the criminal law relating to abortion in England and Wales.

Any change to the law in this area would be a matter of conscience for individual Parliamentarians rather than for the Government.