1. By criminalising all abortions after 18 weeks, the Alton Bill seeks to impose on an all women in all circumstances the will of the antl-abortionists. Women must control their bodies in order to control their lives.
2. Women will never stop trying to terminate unwanted pregnancies. If Alton's Bill becomes law rich women will be more likely to go abroad or get safe, Illegal abortions here. Poor women will be forced back to using knitting needles or gin and hot baths. 3. Some women think they are going through the menopause and don't realise they are pregnant until late in their pregnancy. Alton will deny them a choice on abortion.
4. Some young women don't realise they are pregnant until late in their pregnancies because of poor or non-existent sex education or because of irregular periods at the start of menstruation. Alton would punish these women too.
Many tests which show something is wrong with the fetus cannot be carried out until 20 weeks. Women will be denled any choice over continuing the pregnancy If Alton's Bill becomes law. 6. Under Alton's Bill the onus would be on a doctor to prove the pregnancy was less than the time Imit set. Doctors would give themselves a four week safety margin. 18 weeks would really be 14 weeks. 24 weeks would be 20.
7. Cuts and delays in the health service mean that many women who approach their doctors in the early stages of pregnancy are not referred for abortions until after 18 weeks. Alton attacks women rather than tackling NHS facilitles.
8.. Delays are also due to the fact that doctors can refuse to refer women for abortion. Alton's Bill would give women less time to find a sympathetic GP.
9. Many women • from abroad especially Ireland and the Spanish state) cannot obtain safe, legal abortions in their own countries. Alton would stop them coming to Britain.
10. A victory for the anti-abortionists on this Bill will put them in a stronger position to launch an all-out attack on the 1967 Act. Women and the labour movement must defeat Alton's B1ll.