Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether abortion providers, including British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes InternationaI Reproductive Choices, provide clear and comprehensive information to pregnant women on the full range of childcare and maternity related financial support available to them.

The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of a pregnancy, an abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information, both verbal and written, delivered in a clear, understandable, and non-judgemental way. This includes informing women about their options so that they can make an informed choice about their preferred course of action. As early as possible, women should be provided with detailed information, including on alternatives to abortions such as adoption and motherhood. Their choice should be respected without any unnecessary delay.