[Press Association] The Government has been accused of pushing ahead with plans to strip abortion providers of their role in counselling women despite an amendment on the issue suffering a heavy defeat in the Commons last year.
Shadow public health minister Diane Abbott said she had walked out of a new cross-party abortion group set up by the Government to look at the issue of counselling following the defeat.
She accused the Government of “ploughing ahead” with the controversial abortion changes, saying the new group was a “front” for pushing through the plans which were “unwanted, undemocratic and unsubstantiated with evidence”.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) also expressed dismay at what it sees as aims to implement the changes anyway.
MPs voted by 368 votes to 118 – a majority of 250 – to reject an amendment on the issue by Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries in the Commons in September.
It would have stripped providers including Marie Stopes and BPAS from offering counselling to women.
This was designed to provide greater opportunities for independent counsellors, some of whom are accused of being influenced by pro-life groups.
Public health minister Anne Milton said just before the vote that the Government would try to implement the spirit of Ms Dorries’ proposal without the need for legislation.
She said: “The Government supports the spirit of the amendments, and we intend to present proposals for regulations after consultation.”
The cross-party group has now been meeting to discuss three proposals, which could include stripping providers of their current role, to form part of this consultation.
The cross-party group includes Ms Milton and Ms Dorries.
Ms Abbott, who voted against the amendment in the Commons, said the Government still intended to strip providers of their roles.
In a letter to Ms Milton, she said: “I entered into the meetings in good faith.
“I was genuinely interested in improving the quality of counselling available to women.
“But I now believe the ‘consultation’ will be a front for driving through the anti-choice lobbyists’ preferred option without legislation or a debate on the floor of the House.”
She added: “There is no doubt which option the Government wants to drive through. There will be no legislation or debate in Parliament.
“These changes are unwanted, undemocratic and unsubstantiated with evidence.
“I think women and families across the country will be as horrified as I am by the way the Government is trying to turn the clocks back.
“The talks that have taken place have been little more than window dressing for what is an aggressive, anti-choice campaign and I am walking away from them.
“It’s a group of ‘Tea Party Tories’ who are determined to plough ahead, despite these policies being decisively rejected by Parliament, by the medical profession and also by the British public.
“I think we need to fight back against these policies.
“Women in this country want to have choice over their fertility and that is a basic human right.”
Critics of the existing system say clinics currently offer biased information, because their funding from the Government depends on the number of terminations they carry out.
Pro-life campaigners believe introducing independent counselling could reduce the number of abortions.
BPAS and others say changing the way counselling is provided would be damaging to women.
Ann Furedi, BPA chief executive, said: “It is shocking that the minister and officials can disregard so blatantly the advice they have received from those who provide care, to pursue the ideologically-driven demands of a handful of MPs who know nothing of how services are run – and have made no effort to find out.
“This is despite an overwhelming Parliamentary defeat of Nadine Dorries’ amendment last year.
“It is wrong for an important aspect of care to be politicised in this way.
“We are frankly stunned that officials can even consider dismantling the existing care pathways which have developed in response to what women want and need, and that they have approved and regulated without any concern until Nadine Dorries tabled her amendment.
“Specialist counselling on unwanted pregnancy simply cannot be delivered by people who don’t understand abortion services.
“Regulations on pregnancy counselling have been in force since 1968. If officials believe they have been abused – they should say so.”
Days before last year’s vote, it emerged Prime Minister David Cameron did not back the amendment.
Ms Milton said: “It’s disappointing when anyone walks away from constructive talks on such an important issue. Talks are continuing encompassing the wide range of views on abortion.
“I believe we have all been encouraged about how constructive they have been and how well the meetings are progressing.
“We will publish the options for public consultation soon.”
Ms Dorries said she found it “bizarre” that Ms Abbott would walk away from the group which would lead to a public consultation on the issue.
She said: “It’s a public consultation. Parliament frequently does not reflect the views of the public on these things.
“It’s not MPs deciding, it’s not Government deciding, it’s not me deciding as an individual – it’s a decision for the public, to have their say.”
She said evidence showed that in some areas of the country where counselling is offered, up to 30% of women do not go ahead with an abortion but in parts of the country where it is not offered, the figure is about 10%.
“A lot of women don’t want to abort but they feel they are on a conveyor belt they can’t get off.”
She said the issue was about whether women should be offered counselling.
Ms Dorries also accused Ms Abbott of only turning up to two out of three meetings and of being late.
A spokeswoman for Marie Stopes International said: “The women we serve every day are of the utmost importance to us.
“Women contact us because they know they can access impartial, non-directive and expert support from trained counsellors.
“It is important that a wide range of views are incorporated into the consultation process.
“As the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services in the UK, we have a unique viewpoint to add to the consultation and are looking forward to working with the Department of Health, and other interested parties, once it is launched.”
Tags: abortion, Diane Abbott, Nadine Dorries, Women in Politics
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