Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help improve the (a) quality and (b) access to counselling services provided to women considering an abortion.

Abortion counselling should also be available for those women who request it. Abortions provided by independent sector abortion providers must meet the Required Standard Operating Procedures (RSOPs) set out in the Department’s Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion). The RSOPs require that all women requesting an abortion should be offered the opportunity to discuss their options and choices with a trained counsellor and this offer should be regularly repeated. Post abortion counselling should also be available for those women who require it.