A HEALTH minister was accused yesterday of imposing her own personal beliefs on government policy by deciding to ditch proposals to ban abortion clinics from offering advice to women seeking terminations south of the Border.
Tory MP Nadine Dorries said it was a bizarre decision to scrap a consultation on plans that would prevent clinics run by Marie Stopes and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service from offering counselling to women at the same time as carrying out terminations.
Pro-life campaigners, including Ms Dorries, have argued that there is a conflict of interest as many pregnant women who seek advice from clinics go on to have abortions.
Following yesterday’s announcement by health minister Anna Soubry that the government would no longer contemplate the plans, Ms Dorries said: “What Anna Soubry has said today doesn’t improve services for women. The government has decided that it is not the right decision, and what makes it even more bizarre is that the British Medical Association voted to support the consultation.
“This announcement comes down to Anna Soubry’s very personal belief on abortion. She is as pro-choice as many Labour women MPs.