CNA Staff, Mar 25, 2020 / 12:00 pm
British members of parliament questioned Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the House of Commons on Wednesday over a withdrawn change to the UK's abortion laws. The change would have allowed women to complete a so-called medical abortion at home without going to a hospital or clinic first.
Hancock reiterated that the government has no plans to change abortion regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued lockdown orders for the UK with strict social distancing measures enforced.
Hours after they were published online, the U.K.'s Department for Health on March 24 retracted changes to the country's abortion laws that would have allowed women to complete a chemical abortion at home, without going to a hospital or clinic first.
"It's absurd to expect women to be able to travel during lockdown for a vital healthcare procedure that could be done at home. That risks thousands of women being forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy because they cannot access medical services," Stella Creasy, a Labour MP, said Wednesday.