White's Bill.
New restrictions on the availability of abortion - which will hit particularly hard at women seeking abortions late in pregnancy, women forced to the private sector by the inadequacies of the NHS, and foreign women - are already coming into effect. Barbara Castle, announcing these measures in the House of Commons last week, explained that they were being introduced because of the Labour Government's concern about the treatment of women in the private sector and that now there will be a comprehensive and effective attack on those abuses, which will be eliminated." UNCONVINCING This cover-up for the Government's capitulation to the anti-abortionists doesn't look very convincing when it is followed up a few days later by a statement from Under Secretary of State Dr David Owen that a fee of £100 is considered "acceptable' for early abortions, with a higher, undisclosed figure for later ones! He also added reassuringly that the only new legislation he wanted was to reduce the legal time limit for abortions from 28 to 24 weeks. He is obviously well aware that the Select Committee, if reappointed, can be relied upon to follow this lead by recommending even more restrictions and lower time limits.
The decision whether or not to reconvene the Select Committee will be taken in the new session of Parliament at the end of November. By allowing a free vote to decide whether the Select Committee should be reconvened, the Wilson leadership is paving the way for more attacks on women's rights to abortion. Their argument that the issue of abortion is one which should be left to the conscience of individual MPs cuts no ice with women who, having determined according to their individual conscience that an abortion is necessary, find themselves forced to the back-streets to get one.
The Government's refusal to acknowledge that the question of abortion is a social and political issue requiring a clear stand in favour of the working class also cuts no ice with all those labour movement rep resentatives who voted for the successful resolutions calling for free Wilson too.
will be providing entertainment as well NATIONAL abortion on request on the NHS at the TUC and Labour Party conterences plementation of these resolutions must be a fight to force Labour to impose a three line whip on a vote Wing of the Select Committee. This ************************************* THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER - LOBBY YOUR MP IN PARLIAMENT. Hundreds of NAC supporters will be converging on the House of Commons to urge a vote against the reconvening of the Select Committee. Write to your MP in advance to let him/her know, then turn up at 2.00 or 6.00 pm to join the lobby. Women Labour MPs will also be receiving the 'abortion on demand" petition bearing thousands of signatures. Off: icial delegations from labour movement organisations will be lobbying SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER - MASS RALLY IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE. Come along between 2.00 and 4.00 pm with banners. Speakers will include Labour MPs, trade union representatives, doctors who support abortion on demand, and well known women. Theatre groups and singers ****************************** FREE ABORTION AR Five hundred supporters of the National Abortion Campaian marched throuch Manchestпост ABORTION CAMPAIN AEM AUD
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LABOURS As this session of Parliament draws to a close, James White's Abortion (Amendment) Bill is consigned to the dustbin. But the seeds of his reactionary ideas have been firmly planted in fertile soil with the Wilson Government's acceptance of the proposals made by the Select Committee which was studying
TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE WEEK OF ACTION' IN THE LONDON REGION