Member of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group David Amess received, in mid-October, an answer to his Written Parliamentary Question asking Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about the circumstances in which abortions are carried out on the grounds that the foetus is female.
The question also asked about investigations into such abortions and further steps that will be taken regarding cases of sex selection abortions.
Public Health Minister Jane Ellison stated in her response that the Health Secretary and Attorney General are both of the view that sex selection abortions are illegal and unethical, but a sex-linked inherited medical condition could be relevant to whether one of the lawful grounds under the Abortion Act is met.
Police to investigate
Ms. Ellison also emphasised that doctors suspected of acting unlawfully will continue to be referred by the Department of Health to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
Ms. Ellison highlighted the steps that the Department has taken to address the issue of sex selection abortions.
These included writing to relevant police forces and requesting that all allegations from 2012 be investigated and ensuring that a letter was sent from the Chief Medical Officer to all abortion services highlighting their legal requirements, including those regarding gender selection.
