Whose Choice Anyway

'If you believe, as I do, that post conception a child has begun its development as a unique new individual then this overriding right to life must always take precedence over any other claimed rights. The woman and her child are equally precious because both are human beings. What is illiberal about that?

'Even if you do not accept this argument I hope that you will at least examine the position of late abortions - the one technical issue which my bill will seek to address.

'In no other Western European country are late abortions so easily available until as late as 28 weeks. Twelve to fourteen weeks is the norm elsewhere. This is one of the reasons why 42% undertaken between 19 and 20 weeks and 56% of those undertaken between 21 and 24 weeks are on foreign women prevented from obtaining abortions in their own country. 88% of all abortions performed after 18 weeks are in private clinics, mainly in London, where the later the abortions the more expensive they become. This is a multi-million pound business and the private clinics will be a powerful lobby against my bill.

'It is also worth remembering that by 20 weeks, five months after conception, the baby weighs about a pound, its heart is pumping fifty pints of blood daily, it has all its organs functioning, it has a complete skeleton and reflexes and much more besides. In Britain we allow the destruction of the baby up until seven months after conception. Let us be clear in our own minds exactly what it is that we allow the law to do on our behalf. Abortion is not about planning a family, or preventing a birth through control; nor are we exercising our powerful sexual instincts in or outside marriage. We are deliberately allowing a destructive act to be undertaken with the state's approval.

'Watching a doctor or nurse struggle to save a premature baby fighting for its life is deeply inspiring. A baby can be saved at 23 weeks (and viability comes ever earlier with new technology and medical advances); yet what a cruel paradox that another baby can be aborted at 28 weeks.

'Late abortions are also notoriously more dangerous to the woman concerned and repugnant to the doctors and nurses involved. Far too little work has been done on the traumatic psychological implications and subsequent anxiety and guilt felt by many women encouraged to have abortions. My Bill is intended to spur the NHS into providing better facilities and earlier tests and it aims to challenge the assumption that abortion is a prudent or desirable operation. Specifically it will make illegal any abortions undertaken after 18 weeks.

'One other assumption needs to be challenged. Techniques now exist for detecting abnormality at a very early stage - few handicaps cannot be screened until twenty weeks. For six years, before entering Parliament, I taught handicapped and disabled children. Some were terminally ill. It would have been a brave man or