ABORTION

That this House notes that after drawing the first place in the Private Members Ballot in 1966, the then honourable Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, now the noble Lord Steel, was approached by the then honourable Member for Lincoln, now the noble Lord Taverne, on behalf of the then Right honourable Member for Birmingham, Stechford, now the noble Lord Jenkins, supported by the then Right honourable Member for Coventry East, the late Richard Crossman, and the then Right honourable Member for Sowerby, the late Douglas Houghton, afterwards the noble Lord Houghton, all members of the Cabinet, to ask if he would introduce a bill to liberalise abortion, promising Government support; notes that the Bill would have fallen but for the fact that the Government provided extra time to enable it to reach the Statute Book; notes that from the outset the legislation has resulted in abortion virtually on demand; notes that nonetheless, the present Secretary of State for Health, the Right honourable Member for Holborn and St Pancras, has now called for the law to be made even more liberal in the first weeks of pregnancy and in particular to allow abortion on the signature of one doctor; notes the Government's claim to hold no policy on abortion and; therefore, calls on them to take no action to weaken the minimal safeguards in the current legislation.