ON 7 FEBRUARY a Bill to amend the 1967 Abortion Act, proposed by James White (Labour MP, Glasgow Pollok) was given a second reading in the House of Commons by 200 votes to 58- with the Labour Party split down the middle, The press has in general waxed enthusiastic about White's Bill, suggesting that its purpose is simply to do away with the abuses of the present Act. And many people who support the right to abortion, includ ing numerous doctors, do not see the Abortion (Amendment) Bill as a real threat. Yet the stark reality is that if the Bill were to become law, more than 60,000 women each year would be driven to back-street abortions.
And it is not impossible that the Bill could become law before very long It has now been referred for investigation to a Sclect Committee of the House whose composition only five of its fifteen members are known to be pro-abortion-suggests that the Bill may emerge relatively unchanged from this process.
A brief run-down of the Bill's dauses demonstrates only too well what would be the consequences. of the woman or her family if the peepnancy continued would lave to he shown before she could have an BASIS CHANGED 1. The Abortion (Amendment) Bill would change the whole basis for evaluating the grounds for abortion. At the moment, abortion is allowed under the National Health Service where it can be proved that the risks of continued pregnancy - to the woman's physical and mental health, and the health of her family-would be preater than if it was terniinated.
Since figures proving that abortion in at least the first 12 wecks is safer than childbirth are widely accepted, any doctors have so far been willing to interpret the law in a relatively uberal manner. But under White's Bill an absolute grave and serious" filk to the physical and mental health 2. Furthermore, the onus would be on any doctor or assistant, challenged about why an abortion had been performed, to prove-at law, if necessary - tlat such a grave and serious risk existed. In other words, that well-established precept in British legal traditions-'innocent until proved guilty -would go out the window.
TIME LIMIT
3. It is not only the grounds which are restricted, however. If passed, White's Bill would reduce the legal time limit for abortion from the present 28 weeks to 20 weeks. Just as a lictle twist in International Women's Year, a near 20-weck residence requirement is also proposed.
Together, these two restrictions would mean that women from other countries would be excluded from the limited right to abortion gained so far in Britain. The amendment doesn't say that foreign women would not be allowed abortions-just that no foreign women who conceived anywhere other than Britain could be legally aborted in Briluin. At a time when the authorities are clamping down on the right to abortions elsewhere- notably in Germany and Italy the consequences of this measure are obvices. 4. Only doctors who have been in practice for five year would be qualified to approve abortions-thus excluding young doctors, who gencraily tend to be more sympathetic. In addition, the two signatures required could no longer be provided by doctors working in the same practice Red Woekly 3 April 1975 Page 8 What these clauses so far boil down to is that any woman who is a British resident would have to, within 20 weeks, (i) find out that she was pregnant, (a) decide what she wanted to do about it, (iti) find a doctor with more than five years experience, (iv) convince him (most likely) that she should have an abortion, (v) find another doctor (not in the same praclice) who also agrees, and (vi) have the abortion -if she was not by this time past the 20-weck limit, and provided the hospital facilities were available in the light of the cuts in the NHS and the reactionary work-to-rule by many consultants who are refusing to carry out abortions.
ADVICE RESTRICTED
5. Another serious restriction is that no advice about abortion could be given to girls under 16 unless their parents were present. Doctors, social workers, and even women's groups, could he open to prosecution if they gave informal advice without the presence of the purents 6. There would also be a general tightening up so that only registered doctors and "people approved by the Secretary of State' (whoever they might bel) would be allowed to give out advice and only if they were any Citizens Advice Bureau staff.
for women's groups would be liable to prosecution simply for advising SALTERNATIVE unpaid. This means that potentially Release workers or even paid workers new Bill women to see their family doctor about abortion information. 7. A final danger is the enforced secrecy clause. This would make it Ilegal to publish the name or any information that could lead to the puned workforce, it is emphatically in INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY poster - available from Socialist Woman, 97 Cardonian Roed, Landon N.1., price 20p {ine p&pl identification of a woman having an abortion or even simply secking advice. This would also apply to anyone who gave evidence in court cases which might arise out of the It is only possible to guess why this clause has been included. Certainly it would rule out forms of protest such as that adopted with great cffect by 100 women in France, who said "T have had an abortion tou lo protest against one woman's prosecution. It would also prevent any woman or group with experience or advice on the question of abortion to write articles for newspapers and journals.
RIGHT-WING FORCES
Il is no accident that these restric tions are being proposed at the present time. The altack on abortion is simply part of a general attempt by right-wing forces to push back the tide of social and sexual liberalism which grew up in the late 1960s For right-wingers like Mary Whitehouse and Keith Josepin, part of the solution to the present economic, political and social crisis lies in encouraging a return to 'good old-fashioned morals. A return to the "family' is held up as the key to u smoothly-running society:
Thas it is no surprise that a cam paign to restrict women's rights to abortion is a major clement in their offensive. More than anything else it is women's function us child-bearers which koeps them tied to the home and oppressed within the family structure. Control of child birth is essential if women are to be froz to play a full role in society CAMPAIGN It is essential. therefore, lo mobilise locally and nationally to present a public challenge to these rightist forces, and unite the widest possible support for the right lo abortion against restrictive legislations, making it clear chat what is needed is an extension of the provisions of the 1967 Act, not its restriction.
Only last week the Women's TUC came out for free abortion on demand The vast mujority of the women Labour MPs are opposed to the Bill A National Abortion Campaign has also been set up with representatives trom various women's groups, proabortion groups, and political organi The need for a massive campaigo to fight this restrictive legislation is urgent. and the potential for it clearly exists Information on all aspects of the Canpaign's work can be obtained from 80 Railton Road, Lonion SW24 (01-274 8498)
Dodie Wepoler and Linda Smith The information in this article about the Abortion [Amendment) Bill is taken from an excellent pamphiet produced by A Woman's Right to Choose and available from 186 Kings Cross Road, London
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