If she will issue revised guidance on the performance of abortions following publication of the chief medical officer's report on the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

The Department of Health will be issuing best practice guidance for abortion services in spring 2006. The guidance will also take into account the issues raised by the chief medical officer's recommendations, including the legal position on abortion.

The CMO's report makes it clear that the British Pregnancy Advisory Service was actively encouraging vulnerable women to undergo late-term abortions in Spain. Whatever the legality of that, will the Minister join me in expressing abhorrence of the fact that a publicly funded body is engaging in such a practice? Why do Islamic terrorist suspects and convicted criminals apparently have more human rights than unborn children?

Dearie dearie me. Never let the truth get in the way of aspersions. The fact is that, according to the evidence seen and legal advice, the BPAS did not break any law or give out a number knowing or believing that the Spanish clinic was performing illegal abortions. The Catalan health department found no evidence that the clinic had acted outside Spanish law. What the chief medical officer did identify is that we need to look more closely at, and review, the support and advice given to women who are seeking a late-term abortion, and that is what we are doing. We are meeting BPAS and others, and once the protocol has been established, the Department of Health and the Healthcare Commission will monitor it.

I am sure that women throughout Britain will welcome the Minister's saying that BPAS provides legal abortions in this country. Does she agree, however, that a revision of protocols on the performance of abortion is not required, rather what is desperately needed instead is better training for BPAS staff, who counsel women on the complexities of late abortions? Will she consider helping to fund such extra training, and will she look carefully at protocols to help staff in that regard?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising those issues, many of which are subject to the recommendations on training and support. We will work with BPAS and with primary care trusts to see how we can provide such support. I should make it clear for the record that 88 per cent. of abortions happen under 13 weeks, and 60 per cent. happen under 10 weeks. One reason why we have achieved that result is that we have made this a performance management subject for PCTs to deliver on.