PM: we may look at abortion law

Abortion laws may need to be overhauled in the light of medical progress, the Prime Minister said today.

In a major boost to anti-abortion campaigners, Tony Blair said it would be "sensible" to review legislation on terminations if it is shown to be outdated.

He said he was "sure" Parliament would consider the issue if the law no longer tallied with the science.

"If the scientific evidence has shifted, then it is obviously sensible for us to take that into account," he said."I am sure that we will do so."

Mr Blair's comments come only days after former Liberal leader Lord Steel, who drove through the abortion-law reforms of 1966, called for the current 24-week limit for terminations to be scrapped.

Lord Steel spoke out after the Evening Standard published pictures showing a 12-week-old foetus "walking" in the womb. The ultrasound images, which also showed a 12- to 18-week-old foetus sucking its thumb, opening its eyes and yawning, prompted calls for a review of laws allowing foetuses this age to be aborted.

Medical advances now mean foetuses as young as 23 weeks can survive outside the womb.

During Prime Minister's Questions today, Mr Blair made clear that Labour MPs would be allowed to make up their own minds on any new proposals. "These are matters of free vote and conscience across the House," he said.

Referring to medical progress since the original laws were passed, he said: "I am sure that if the situation does change, it would be advisable for us to have another look at the whole question."

Lord Steel believes the time limit on abortions for so-called "social reasons" should be reduced to 12 weeks, bringing it into line with other European countries.

At present, women can request terminations up until the 24th

week of pregnancy on the grounds that having a child could harm their physical or mental health. Nine out of 10 abortions here are carried out on this basis.

About 180,000 abortions are carried out every year in the UK. Any change in the law would have major implications.

Downing Street today stressed there are currently no government papers in existence on changing the law but did not rule out using government time for a debate. Westminster's crossparty science and technology committee also plans to examine the issue.

Any new legislation is likely to be in the form of a Private Member's Bill, and is unlikely to go as far as Lord Steel's proposed reduction in the legal time limit.

Such a move would be fiercely resisted by pro-choice groups and would almost certainly prove impossible to push through. A more modest proposal to cut the time limit by about a month seems more likely.