Overview

This bill, the Abortion (Disability Equality) Bill, aims to amend the 1967 Abortion Act to ensure equal treatment for pregnancies involving a prenatal diagnosis of disability. It mandates providing parents with comprehensive information 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:

• Amendment to Section 1(1)(d): Adds a requirement that the pregnancy must not have exceeded 24 weeks before a termination can be carried out under this section.
• New Subsection 1(2A): Before a termination under section 1(1)(d), parents must receive full and accurate information about all post-diagnosis options, including raising the child. This information must include details provided by disability family support groups and organizations led by disabled persons.
• Changes to Section 5(2): Minor grammatical changes are made for clarity.

The bill applies only to England and Wales and comes into effect two months after being passed.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any changes to government spending. The financial implications would likely be indirect, potentially relating to the cost of providing mandated information and supporting relevant organizations.

Groups Affected

Groups potentially affected include:

• Pregnant people receiving prenatal diagnoses of fetal disability: They will receive more comprehensive information regarding all available options.
• Disability support groups and organizations: Their involvement in providing information will be legally mandated.
• Healthcare professionals: They will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the new requirements for information provision.

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