Over 700 medical professionals urge MPs to lower abortion time limit to 22 weeks

Mar 11, 2024 by Jill

from Right to Life UK:

Over 700 medical professionals urge MPs to lower abortion time limit to 22 weeks

Caroline Ansell MP has today published an op-ed in The Telegraph outlining the case for lowering the time limit to 22 weeks which is available here.
The full text of the medical professionals letter is included below.

Over 700 medical professionals have called on MPs to back an amendment to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill, in what would be the biggest change to abortion law for a generation.

In a letter to all 650 MPs, the medical professionals have urged MPs to vote in support of the landmark amendment tabled by a cross-party group of over 30 MPs, led by Caroline Ansell MP, that would lower the abortion time limit from 24 to 22 weeks in line with advances in medical science.

The group of MPs backing the amendment includes former health minister Maggie Throup, ex-shadow cabinet Labour minister Rachael Maskell, ex-shadow Labour minister Marie Rimmer, ex-home office minister Sir John Hayes, ex-Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Miriam Cates.

A 24-week abortion limit is now beyond the point when many babies survive, double that of the most common time limit among European Union countries and represents a contradiction at the heart of our abortion law.

Originally set at 28 weeks, the abortion limit was lowered in 1990 to 24 weeks gestation. Improved survival rates for extremely premature babies between 24 and 28 weeks was one of the key considerations that motivated this change.

By the same logic, and informed by the improved survival rates for babies born at 22 and 23 weeks gestation, MPs are now calling for the abortion time limit to be updated.

Read here