ABORTION ADVERTISING

Early day motion 1492, tabled 14 May 2009 by Jim Dobbin (Labour). Signed by 13 members.

That this House notes the recommendation of the Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice that services providing abortion should be permitted to advertise on prime time television and radio to ensure reaching children from 10 years of age, well below the age of consent; notes the original recommendation came from the Government Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV whose members are all involved in programmes promoting abortion; further notes that some of the Advisory Group's members have a vested interest in the recommendation and include paid officers of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the Family Planning Association and Brook, which receives major grants to provide contraception and abortion to under-age children, often without parental knowledge; further notes the claim that advertising is needed to lower teenage pregnancies in the UK which they claim result through ignorance; further notes that despite the Department of Health doing more than any other government body in Europe to promote abortion and contraception, the rate of under-age conceptions in this country continues to increase and is the highest in Western Europe; and calls on the Government to encourage more normal lifestyles with deferment of sexual activity among under-age children and adolescents rather than introducing measures that will further sexualise them.

Signatures by party: Labour 7, Conservative 3, Independent 1, Liberal Democrat 1, Scottish National Party 1.