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Amending the Embryology Bill: The Latest News

Published: July 11th, 2008
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Where Are We Now?

Parliament was originally scheduled to debate a number of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFE Bill) on Monday, 14 July. The debate, however, has been rescheduled for October. This delay is actually quite an encouraging development, because it shows that the government is feeling the ever-mounting pressure to get rid of amendments that seek to further liberalise abortion. This pressure is only amplified by the fact that there is soon to be a by-election in Glasgow East, which will allow us to campaign for a pro-life MP who will have a vote on these proposed amendments when they are debated in October. The postponement of debate on these pro-abortion amendments to the HFE Bill allows us to coalesce as a unified community in opposition to further liberalisation of abortion in the UK.

Nevertheless, though debate on these amendments has been delayed, they have not been defeated. It is therefore important that we make you aware of what the proposed amendments—two, in particular—purport to accomplish. This will allow you to contact your MPs confidently in the upcoming weeks to let them know how you, as an informed and concerned constituent, think they should vote when these amendments do come before Parliament. Finally, we want to encourage you with news that, despite having lost many votes on the HFE Bill itself, we are seeing small, but encouraging, victories in battles over these controversial pro-abortion amendments.


Proposed Abortion Amendments

Pro-abortion advocates are proposing two new amendments to the HFE Bill which, if passed, would significantly expand the scope and power of the abortion industry in the UK. The first amendment, proposed by Conservative MP John Bercow, could potentially criminalise advertising by providers of alternatives to abortion, such as providers of crisis pregnancy counselling or adoption services. The second amendment, tabled by Evan Harris, seeks to remove the right of doctors and pharmacists to refuse, on the grounds of “conscientious objection”, to prescribe or dispense contraception, including the “Morning After Pill”.

Even though voting on these amendments has been postponed, we must continue not only to be steadfast in prayer, but also to be actively involved in contacting our MPs to let them know how we feel about expanding the abortion industry. Lest we think at any time that our efforts are hopeless against the power of the secular establishment, ponder the words of renowned Dutch prime minister, statesman, and theologian Abraham Kuyper, who once said, “In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, 'That is mine!'” It is paramount, then, that we do not become weary in well-doing. To the contrary, we must humble ourselves and pray for God’s intercession on our behalf in this time of need.

The Bercow Amendment

The Bercow Amendment makes it a criminal offence for a crisis pregnancy service to advertise that it provides abortion-related services when it does not recommend having abortions. If passed, this amendment would subject crisis pregnancy centres to criminal prosecution where the average woman’s mind might be changed with regard to having an abortion, or even where a woman’s mind is changed and she decides to keep her baby as a result. Essentially, the providers of any such service that do not make their pro-life stance abundantly clear may face criminal prosecution.


Ironically, the pro-“choice” lobby is actually seeking to curtail women’s choices by implementing draconian controls on the information women may receive pertaining to abortion. The truth of the matter is that the pro-choice lobby does not fear “misleading” advertising. It fears the results of what happens to women when they are told about the reality of life—that they really are carrying a baby. And, consequently, those who support abortion have suppressed the truth for a lie.


The Harris Amendment

Evan Harris has proposed an amendment which abolishes the right of doctors and pharmacists to object, on the grounds of conscience, to prescribing or dispensing contraception, which would include the “Morning After Pill”. The practical significance of this amendment is, then, that doctors and pharmacists would be compelled to prescribe or dispense the “Morning After Pill”, in spite of firmly-held beliefs to the contrary.


This amendment has disturbing ramifications, particularly for human rights and freedom of conscience. If such an amendment were enacted, it would result in the UK not only breaching international law obligations, but also European law obligations.

See the Evan Harris amendments:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/120/amend/pb120070 4a.2969-2971.html.

Encouraging News


Amidst the onslaught against pro-life advocates, we are seeing victories in important areas. For instance, the British Medical Association (BMA) recently debated whether doctors should be required to disclose to patients that they have controversial beliefs pertaining to abortion, IVF treatment, and terminally ill patients. Essentially, doctors would then come with “public health warnings” if they held a Christian—but not so-called “mainstream”—view on these issues. This is, of course, the secular establishment’s attempt to ensure that patients seeking abortion-related services do not go to doctors who may have biblical beliefs on the subject and who may counsel them otherwise. Encouragingly, the BMA soundly defeated by a vote of 3 to 1 this proposal by Evan Harris.

See related link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1034073/Doctors-vote-telling-patients-beliefs -controversial-issues.html


Pro-Life Amendments

Please also pray that MPs will see the necessity of voting in favour of pro-life amendments proposed by a number of MPs. These amendments include:

  • an amendment to provide women with information and advice concerning alternatives to abortion before they make up their minds;

  • an amendment to lower the abortion upper time limit;

  • an amendment to lower the abortion time limit for disabled babies to 24 weeks so that it is no longer discriminatory;

  • an amendment to prevent babies with Down’s Syndrome, Club Foot, or Cleft Lip and Palate from being aborted up to birth;

  • an amendment that provides for the revocation of licences relating to the creation of animal-human hybrids

  • an amendment to require a doctor with training and experience in mental health to verify that a woman “requires” an abortion on mental health grounds;

  • amendments concerning embryology matters including the “Hunt Test”;

  • amendments to restrict the situations in which saviour siblings can be created and the types of tissue that can be taken from them;

It is crucial that you write to your MP, asking him or her to vote in favour of the Pro-Life amendments outlined above and against the Harris and Bercow amendments. To e-mail your MP, click on the following link: www.writetothem.com.

The links below will take you to the newspaper coverage of these amendments:

The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2264079/Abortion-shake -up-proposed-by-MPs.html.

BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7494807.stm.

Closing Verse for Meditation:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14

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