Published 14 July 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a815
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a815

News

Debate on abortion is deferred until autumn

Clare Dyer

1 BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Controversial pro-choice amendments to the law on abortion in England and Wales, which were due to be debated in parliament on 14 July, have been shelved until the autumn in a last minute scheduling change that surprised MPs.

The amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, put down by a group of cross party pro-choice MPs, are intended to make it easier for women to obtain early terminations. But with just four days to go to the report stage of the bill the government announced on 10 July that the crucial debate would be delayed until after parliament’s summer recess.

The move angered MPs who want the current restrictions maintained or tightened but was welcomed by pro-choice MPs, who had complained that they would have only around three hours for debate on 14 July. The rescheduling means that more time will be available to debate the issue when the . . . [Full text of this article]


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