Spencer

The House of Representatives has approved a 10-member committee to consider recommendations for the legalisation of abortion.

A recent Ministry of Health-commissioned report recommended that current laws prohibiting the practice be repealed and replaced with legislation outlining conditions under which medical termination of pregnancy would be lawful.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer got Parliament's approval for the committee to sit jointly with a subcommittee of the Senate to consider the matter.

Mr. Spencer will chair the committee which comprises Marisa Darymple-Philibert, Shahine Robinson, Ernest Smith, Gregory Mair, Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, Sharon Hay-Webster, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, Lisa Hanna and Natalie Neita Headley.

The Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group report found that public health system was being burdened because of the huge number of botched abortions, due mainly to women desirous of the service being unable to afford it.