British Health Secretary set to back decriminalisation of abortion
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Victoria Atkins , the British Health Secretary has indicated that she would back the decriminalisation of abortion, as MPs prepare to vote on the first major changes in the law for more than three decades.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Victoria Atkins said her voting record – she has previously supported decriminalisation, and backed buffer zones for abortion clinics – “speaks for itself.”
It comes as MPs will next month vote on two amendments that would change abortion law. One would decriminalise abortion after 24 weeks and the other would lower the legal time limit from 24 weeks to 22 weeks.
Diana Johnson, Labour chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, has tabled an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that would mean women would no longer be prosecuted if they ended their pregnancies beyond the 24-week legal time limit. It has so far gathered cross-party support from 20 MPs.
The second amendment, tabled by Conservative MP Caroline Ansell, would represent the first lowering of the time limit since 1990, when MPs backed reducing it from 28 weeks to 24 weeks. Her proposal is supported by a cross-party group of 25 MPs.
On Friday night, Downing Street indicated that MPs would be free to vote according to their consciences. “Abortion has always been a free vote for MPs,” a No 10 source said.
