Abortion bill scrapes through

A Bill designed to tighten up the 1967 Abortion Act received a second reading in the House of Commons by a majority of six votes this week.
Mr Bernard Braine, Conservative MP for South East Essex, introduced his Abortion (Amendment) Bill under the Ten-Minute Rule, but without a government undertaking to provide extra time for its passage the Bill stands little or no chance of becoming law.
If passed, the Bill would reduce the upper time limit for abortion from a 28-week pregnancy to a 20-week pregnancy. It would also, Mr Braine said, make statutory the clarification of grounds on which medical staff could refuse on grounds of conscience to take part in an abortion, Under a third provision the Bill would make any financial link between abortion advisory agencies and abortion clinics illegal.
Mr Braine conceded that his Bill stood little chance without government support. But he believed that it gave the Cornmons "the opportunity to reassert its will" and to persuade the Government to give the necessary time.
Opposing the Bill, Sir George Sinclair, Conservative MP for Dorking, said it would pave the way to restricting existing abortion law.
It was "the opening shot in a public campaign to put pressure on the Government to provide the time" for a measure to restrict abortions under the 1967 Act, he said.
Sir George claimed that the effect of the Act would be to hamper the work of charitable organisations and that it would be wrong to disrupt their work until the need for abortion could be fully met by the National Health Service.
'Consider Your Call' in Ealing
A team of 20 priests, brothers and nuns, representing a crosssection of the priestly and religious life, are taking part in "Consider Your Call", a week of discussion and reflectiln on vocation in Ealing Abbey parish, West London which began last Sunday and will end this Sunday.
Fr Gerry Burke, the Director of Vocations for the Westminster archdiocese, described the week's programme as a "significant development" in the field of vocation promotions.
The week has included 60 House Masses, daily hours of prayer in the Abbey Church and an exhibition in the parish centre.
The team has been playing a full part in parish life, giving religious education in St Benedict's School, preaching at all the Sunday Masses and spending half of each day visiting the sick and the housebound.
Bishop Mahon, Bishop in West London, will preside at a special "Service of Dedication" in the Abbey this evening which will be attended by all those who have taken part in the week.