Letter: Give time for abortion reform

Sir: Recent news stories - from the destruction of human embryos to the horrific examples of "selective termination" have reinforced the widespread belief that our abortion law must be changed.

But the will of the majority, in the country and among MPs, will continue to be thwarted as long as the pro-abortionists in Parliament are allowed to exercise an effective veto on all attempts at reform. The key is the shortage of parliamentary time, which enables any private member's Bill to be "talked out" by even a handful of opponents.

David Steel's Abortion Bill was able to succeed in 1967 only because the then Labour administration made government time available for its passage. For governments thereafter to claim that they have remained neutral on abortion because they have allowed free votes on the issue, while at the same time they have consistently refused to provide government time for Bills seeking to modify the Act, has been dishonourable and disingenuous.

Fr FRANCIS BROWN

Kingston upon Hull, Humberside