My Abortion (Sex Selection) Bill, which had the simple aim of clarifying the illegality of sex-selective abortion, passed First Reading by 181 votes to 1 on November 4 last year. Since then I have received many expressions of support from members who were for various reasons unable to vote but would have liked to support. It is clear to me that there is wide cross-party support for the bill, and that this is an issue which unites people who are usually on opposite sides of the abortion debate.
I have now moved an amendment to Part 5 of the Government’s Serious Crime Bill, which would embed in statute the substance of the Abortion (Sex-Selection) Bill. There is a powerful case for the amendment to be accepted, given the clear feelings of the House – feelings which are replicated across the country as this website, which has been set up to enable people to ask their MPs to vote for the amendment, clearly demonstrates.
