Parliament Website

Mental Health And Abortion

EDM number 1620 in 2006-07, proposed by Angela Watkinson on 05/06/2007.

That this House acknowledges growing evidence from research centres in many parts of the world showing an increased risk of mental health problems in women who have abortions; notes, for example, that Finland's National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health carried out a three-year study of the entire population of women in Finland which found that the suicide rate among women who had abortions was six times higher than that of women who had given birth in the prior year and double that of women who had miscarriages; further notes that following the Finnish study, South Wales psychiatrists reported in a letter to the British Medical Journal that in the Cardiff population of 400,000, between 1991 and 1995 there were more psychiatric admissions and suicides in women who had abortions compared with childbirth; further notes that the most recent major project in Christchurch, New Zealand, was led by Professor David Fergusson, a pro-choice scientist, and showed that women who had abortions had significantly higher rates of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviour and substance misuse; and calls on the Government to show greater respect and care for women by ensuring that abortion forms state clearly whether the abortion is carried out on mental or physical grounds and by ensuring that women are adequately informed of the possible dangers of abortion as well as being provided with full details of the grants and help available if they continue with their pregnancies.

This motion has been signed by a total of 46 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Angela Watkinson05/06/2007UpminsterConservativeProposed
Geraldine Smith05/06/2007Morecambe and LunesdaleLabourSeconded
Jeffrey M Donaldson05/06/2007Lagan ValleyDUPSeconded
Bob Spink05/06/2007Castle PointConservativeSeconded
Jim Dobbin05/06/2007Heywood and MiddletonLabourSeconded
Ann Winterton05/06/2007CongletonConservativeSeconded
Lindsay Hoyle05/06/2007ChorleyLabourSigned
Ben Chapman05/06/2007Wirral SouthLabourSigned
David Taylor05/06/2007North West LeicestershireLabourSigned
Nicholas Winterton05/06/2007MacclesfieldConservativeSigned
David Burrowes05/06/2007Enfield, SouthgateConservativeSigned
Philip Davies05/06/2007ShipleyConservativeSigned
Gregory Campbell06/06/2007East LondonderryDUPSigned
Rob Wilson06/06/2007Reading EastConservativeSigned
Michael Penning06/06/2007Hemel HempsteadConservativeSigned
Jim McGovern06/06/2007Dundee WestLabourSigned
Derek Conway06/06/2007Old Bexley & SidcupConservativeSigned
Ronnie Campbell06/06/2007Blyth ValleyLabourSigned
William McCrea06/06/2007South AntrimDUPSigned
Nigel Evans07/06/2007Ribble ValleyConservativeSigned
Michael Weir07/06/2007AngusScottish National PartySigned
John Hemming07/06/2007Birmingham, YardleyLiberal DemocratSigned
Peter Bone07/06/2007WellingboroughConservativeSigned
John Pugh11/06/2007SouthportLiberal DemocratSigned
Angus MacNeil11/06/2007Na h-Eileanan an IarScottish National PartySigned
Stewart Jackson11/06/2007PeterboroughConservativeSigned
Andrew Selous11/06/2007South West BedfordshireConservativeSigned
David Amess11/06/2007Southend WestConservativeSigned
David Drew12/06/2007StroudLabourSigned
Laurence Robertson13/06/2007TewkesburyConservativeSigned
Rudi Vis13/06/2007Finchley and Golders GreenLabourSigned
Greg Hands13/06/2007Hammersmith and FulhamConservativeSigned
Dai Davies13/06/2007Blaenau GwentIndependentSigned
Michael Ancram14/06/2007DevizesConservativeSigned
Bob Neill15/06/2007Bromley and ChislehurstConservativeSigned
Brian Binley15/06/2007Northampton SouthConservativeSigned
Mark Durkan15/06/2007FoyleSocial Democratic and Labour PartySigned
Alasdair McDonnell20/06/2007Belfast SouthSocial Democratic and Labour PartySigned
Paul Rowen20/06/2007RochdaleLiberal DemocratSigned
Nigel Dodds26/06/2007Belfast NorthDUPSigned
Bill Etherington28/06/2007Sunderland NorthLabourSigned
Ann Widdecombe28/06/2007Maidstone and The WealdConservativeSigned
Mark Harper03/07/2007Forest of DeanConservativeSigned
Michael Spicer08/10/2007West WorcestershireConservativeSigned
Graham Brady08/10/2007Altrincham and Sale WestConservativeSigned
Richard Benyon08/10/2007NewburyConservativeSigned

Download raw data as csv or xml.