Thank you for contacting me about the consequences of the changes to the abortion laws and regulations introduced during last year.
I opposed these measures from the moment they were introduced and continue to do so. It was clear that they would have appalling implications for women's health and were deeply unsafe in may ways and on many levels and the examples you provide make that still clearer. It is worth quoting again the words of Lord Bethell in a debate in the House of Lords when the Government opposed similar proposals:
'...we do not agree that women should be able to take both treatments for medical abortion at home. We believe that it is an essential safeguard that a woman attends a clinic, to ensure that she has an opportunity to be seen alone and to ensure that there are no issues. Do we really want to support an amendment that could remove the only opportunity many women have, often at a most vulnerable stage, to speak confidentially and one-to-one with a doctor about their concerns on abortion and about what the alternatives might be? The bottom line is that, if there is an abusive relationship and no legal requirement for a doctor’s involvement, it is far more likely that a vulnerable woman could be pressured into having an abortion by an abusive partner.'
I will continue to press for these dangerous measures to be ended.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
February 2021