The ProLife Alliance has won a significant victory after the Information Commissioner ordered the Government to release figures on the late abortions of foetuses with minor abnormalities.
In what has been hailed as a victory for "transparency", the Information Commissioner ordered the release of the information, comprising data on mothers who opt for termination because their unborn babies have been diagnosed with conditions such as a cleft palate and club foot.
The ProLife Alliance requested the release of the figures via the Freedom of Information Act because of its concerns about the amount of abortions taking place in circumstances where a foetus had been diagnosed with a minor abnormality such as a cleft palate. It was concerned that the circumstances laid out by the Abortion Act 1967 as to when a foetus could be aborted after 24 weeks (if there is a serious physical or mental abnormality) were being flouted to weed out “less than perfect” babies, including those which had a cleft palate or a club foot. The Department of Health resisted the request for data, claiming that its release could lead to the identification of women who have had late abortions. Its lawyers had argued that the information was “sensitive, personal and private”.
The Department of Health must now release the data to the ProLife Alliance within 28 days. Medical professionals have supported the ruling, saying that the release of the data will increase understanding about a medical procedure which has been kept away from public scrutiny since 2005 when there was an outcry over the termination of a 28 week baby who had a cleft palate.
Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “This is a result of profound public importance. The public interest in knowing about what really happens in relation to abortion can only be satisfied if we have access to the information. The Information Commissioner’s judgment is a step in the right direction.”