British Pro-Life Groups Heap Criticism on Committee’s New Abortion Report 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 1, 2007
London, England (LifeNews.com) — Pro-life groups in England have joined two dissenting MPs in condemning the new report issued by the British Parliament’s science and technology committee on the issue of abortion. The panel said there should be tightening of the 24-week limit and that only one doctor should sign off on abortions.
The panel also said nurses should be allowed to do abortions and that the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug can be used by women at home, despite the need for medical supervision.
Anthony Ozimic of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, responded to the report in comments sent to LifeNews.com.
"This pro-abortion report and the committee’s pro-abortion majority clearly shows that the pro-abortion lobby holds sway in Parliament," he said.
Ozimic worries about the kind of pro-abortion amendments that may come up during the debate on a bill later this month.
"The possibility of abortion amendments to the government’s human tissue and embryos bill poses the greatest danger of making the Abortion Act worse since 1990, when abortion up to birth was allowed and protection for viable unborn children was removed," he added.
"Removing restrictions on abortions will lead to more abortion and more abortion-related damage to women," he said.
Michaela Aston, a spokeswoman for LIFE, another leading pro-life group, agreed and said polling data shows most Britons oppose the findings of the committee.
"Recent poll data indicates a groundswell in public support for changes to the law. Sixty-five percent of respondents felt that there were too many abortions in the UK and that the current level should be reduced," she said.
"Most people feel that, contrary to the original intention of the 1967 Abortion Act, abortion is now available on demand," Aston added.
Instead, she cited figures showing that 85 percent of women questioned said that they wanted to see "more support for women who wish to keep their baby" as opposed to just 8% who wanted "easier access to abortion."
This was especially pronounced among younger women; 92% of 18-24-year-olds and 86% of women aged 25-34 agreed that there should be more support for women to keep their babies.
"The report seems to have willfully ignored a great deal of this evidence, and followed a predetermined ideological agenda that owes very little to a careful consideration of the facts," she said.
