Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Thursday, 15 March 2012.

Abortion

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances abortions can be performed on the grounds that the foetus is female; what is the form and timescale for the investigation into reports of abortions being performed on the grounds that the foetus is female; whether that investigation willcover all United Kingdom abortion clinics; whether the relevant police forces and prosecuting authorities have been informed of the reports; and whether it is intended that any doctors suspected of having falsified abortion referral forms or having performed abortions on the grounds that the foetus is female will be referred to the General Medical Council and the relevant police authorities.

Answer: Abortions can be performed only in accordance with the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended). The Act stipulates specific circumstances where termination of pregnancy is permitted; gender selection is not included. It is illegal for a practitioner to carry out an abortion for that reason alone, unless the certifying practitioners consider that an abortion was justified in relation to at least one of the Section 1(1) grounds. A sex-linked inherited medical condition may be relevant to the practitioner's consideration of whether any of the Section 1(1) grounds are met in a specific case. The department has contacted three police forces, the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about reports of gender-selective abortion and investigations and reviews are under way. The Chief Medical Officer for England has written to all clinics and hospitals undertaking abortions to remind them of the provisions of the Abortion Act and that sex-selective abortions are illegal. A copy of the letter has already been placed in the Library. There is no set timescale for when all these investigations and reviews will be completed.

Secondary information