The following is the answer to a question asked of the Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer by PNP Member of Parliament Ronald Thwaites.

Question: Is the Government contemplating any change in the law relating to abortion?

Answer: The issue of abortion has been under review by Government for more than 30 years. The existing laws relating to abortion are found both in statue - the Offences Against the Person Act as well as in Common Law.

Under Common Law, however, it is lawful for a registered doctor, acting in good faith, to perform an abortion if in circumstances, he may reasonably consider relevant, he forms the opinion that the continuation of the pregnancy would be likely to constitute a threat to the life of the woman or her mental or physical health.

In January 1975, the then government, through the Minister of Health, Dr. Ken McNeill, tabled a Ministry Paper in Parliament containing Government's policy in the issue of abortion. In that policy statement, the Government declared its intention to amend the Offences Against the Person Act to:

(a) incorporate the Common Law position in statue;

(b) specify when an abortion would be deemed lawful;

(c) declare circumstances involving rape, carnal abuse and incest as lawful grounds for abortion.

Despite this commitment, the amendments proposed were never enacted. In 2005, the previous administration, through the then Minister of Health, Mr. John Junor, established an Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group to re-examine the issue of abortion. The group submitted its report on February 19, 2007, to the then Minister of Health, Mr. Horace Dalley.

In view of the important considerations involved in this issue, I propose to table the report in Parliament and ask that it be referred to the Select Committee on Human Resources and Social Development for its consideration.

Rudyard Spencer, Minister of Health and the Environment.