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The Guardian
By Julian Glover
August 31, 2005
The government was yesterday accused of burying a report into whether women who want late abortions are being encouraged to use clinics abroad.
The claim, from backbench Conservative MP David Davies, prompted the Department of Health to say the report would be published and to deny claims of a cover-up.
Last November the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, a partially NHS-funded charity, was reported to be giving women who want abortions after Britain's 24-week time limit details of a clinic in Barcelona.
At the time the BPAS chief executive, Ann Furedi, said that it would be "morally reprehensible" not to do so.
The health secretary, John Reid, referred the matter to the chief medical officer, Dr Liam Donaldson, amid claims that government money was being used to encourage abortions that would be banned in this country.
Dr Donaldson's report has now been completed and sent to the department but not so far made public.
Yesterday Mr Davies, the MP for Monmouth, claimed the department had sat on the findings because it was critical of the BPAS.
Mr Davies has tabled a series of unsuccessful parliamentary questions on the subject.
He has also attempted to use the Freedom of Information Act to secure the report.
A Department of Health source said yesterday that the delay in publication was routine and it would be issued in the next few weeks. |
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