Press releases

Today, Tuesday 9th June, a coalition of 36 healthcare bodies and women’s rights organisations have written to Scotland’s First Minister urging him to reinstate a dedicated Minister for Women’s Health following the removal of the role following last month’s election.

In response to an investigation from The i Paper, Heidi Stewart, BPAS Chief Executive, said: "We are increasingly seeing well-funded anti-abortion organisations, many with links to the United States, seeking to influence debate and policy in the UK. That is concerning, particularly given the aggressive rollback of reproductive rights we have witnessed in parts of the US in recent years.

Today, 29th April, the Crime and Policing Bill receives Royal Assent, formally removing women from the criminal law related to abortion in England and Wales. This landmark change means women will no longer face lengthy and distressing investigations, criminal charges, or custodial sentences for ending their own pregnancy.

Lucy Ward, Policy and Engagement Manager at BPAS and Co-founder of Back Off Scotland, said: "We are disappointed that Scottish Labour's women's health manifesto does not include commitments on abortion - a routine healthcare procedure that one in three women will undergo during their lifetimes, and a right which has been under political attack around the world in recent years."

BPAS has welcomed the government’s updated Women’s Health Strategy for England, highlighting its renewed focus on improving access to abortion and contraception, alongside commitments to strengthen evidence-based care and service delivery.

On Wednesday 18th March, the House of Lords voted to back an amendment to pardon women convicted under the abortion law in England and Wales, reinforcing last year’s landmark vote by MPs to decriminalise women accused of ending their own pregnancies.