Reid to investigate illegal abortion claims

Monday, 11 October 2004 12:00 AM

The Health Secretary, Dr John Reid, has promised to investigate claims that the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is helping women obtain abortions after the 24 week limit.

The allegations have emerged following an investigation by the Telegraph, which claims that one of its reporters was referred by the service to a clinic in Spain that is prepared to carry out abortions after the 24 week limit.

Though abortions in Spain can be carried out to full term if doctors believe there is a "grave or serious threat to the physical or psychological well-being of the mother", the newspaper claims that the clinic was prepared to carry out abortions even if the pregnancy was proceeding normally.

It is claimed they would simply falsify the paperwork.

The paper claims that BPAS, which receives significant amounts of government funding, would refer healthy women to the clinic if they enquired about late abortions.

It is not immediately clear whether this action would mean the BPAS is in breach of the 1967 Abortion Act.

The charity insists that it has not acted illegally, and stressed that it does not run or recommend the Spanish clinic but only provides women with its contact details.

Responding to the Telegraph's investigation, Dr Reid said: "After long and anguished debate on this, the view of Parliament is absolutely clear, as is the British law. If there is evidence that the will of Parliament is being thwarted and that the law of a fellow European country is being broken by an organisation in receipt of public money, this would be a very serious situation indeed."

He said he would look into the matter "immediately" if the paper provides him with the relevant evidence.

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