Overview

This bill, the Abortion (Disability Equality) Bill, aims to amend the 1967 Abortion Act to ensure equal treatment for pregnancies involving a foetus with a disability. It mandates providing balanced information to parents about all options, including keeping the child, and emphasizes the inclusion of perspectives from disability support groups.

Description

The bill makes several key changes to the Abortion Act 1967. Firstly, it adds a requirement that the pregnancy must not have exceeded 24 weeks before an abortion can be performed under section 1(1)(d). Secondly, before a termination under section 1(1)(d), parents must receive comprehensive and accurate information about all options following a prenatal diagnosis of disability, including keeping the child. This information must include perspectives from disability family support groups and organisations led by disabled individuals. Finally, the bill removes a clause in section 5(2)(a) and amends section 5(2)(b) for grammatical consistency.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any increase or decrease in government spending. The impact on government spending would likely be indirect, potentially affecting the funding of support services for parents of disabled children or the costs associated with amending and enforcing regulations under the 1967 Abortion Act.

Groups Affected

Groups potentially affected include:

• Pregnant women: Facing decisions following a prenatal diagnosis of disability.
• Parents of disabled children: Potentially affected by the information provided and the overall implications for support services.
• Disability support groups: Their inclusion in information provision may influence the support they receive and their role in this process.
• Healthcare professionals: Required to adhere to the new information-providing provisions.

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