Papers on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill (Alton)

Papers relating to Co-ord response to David Alton's Anti-Abortion Bill, including comments, policy statements, notices of amendments, Co-ord response to amendments, questions to raise, briefing papers, Covered terminology, late abortions, fetal testing, shortcomings in NHS service provision. Papers cover the whole process from introduction of Bill to committee stage, including work on amendments in committee stage (March 1988), background information, Briefings for Report Stage.

1988

1 file (in 3 parts)

Anti-abortionists regarded the Abortion Amendment Bill (David Alton's Private Member's Bill, also referred to as the Alton Bill) as an important step in their long-established campaign to make abortion illegal in any circumstances. The Pro-abortion lobbyists contend that if the 18 week ruling became law, many pregnant women would not be able to discover in time whether their babies were likely to have serious abnormalities. The RCOG reiterated its recommendation that 24 weeks would be a wiser limit and advised against the 18 week limit.