(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Almost half of the population of Britain wants the time limit on abortion to be reduced from the current 24 weeks, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 47 per cent of respondents share this point of view, while 36 per cent would maintain the current limit.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Almost half of the population of Britain wants the time limit on abortion to be reduced from the current 24 weeks, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 47 per cent of respondents share this point of view, while 36 per cent would maintain the current limit.
Britain legalized abortion in 1967 through the Abortion Act. A time limit for permitted abortions was set at 28 weeks, since doctors ruled that a foetus is viable outside the womb after that period of time.
Currently, a woman can only request an abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, provided that certain criteria are met. The limit was lowered from 28 to 24 weeks in 1990.
In May 2008, Conservative party leader David Cameron—who is poised to become Britain’s prime minister after the next general election—voted in favour of a bill seeking to lower the time limit on abortions to 22 weeks. Just before the vote, Cameron declared: "I think the reason personally why I want to see it come from 24, definitely to 22, is because there are now children surviving, being born at 22, or 23 weeks who survive. I think that it is very difficult to have a system that is aborting foetuses at that age when children are surviving. That is my personal view."
Polling Data
In Great Britain, it is only legal to have an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, provided that certain criteria are met. Thinking about this, which of these statements comes closest to your own point of view?
|
The time limit on abortion should be reduced to less than 24 weeks |
47% |
|
The time limit on abortion should remain at 24 weeks |
36% |
|
The time limit on abortion should be extended to more than 24 weeks |
4% |
|
Not sure |
13% |
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,010 British adults, conducted from Jan. 8 to Jan. 10, 2010. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.
