Britain to keep current abortion limit

LONDON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- The British health minister has no plans to change the present 24-week limit on obtaining abortions, a report said.

Dawn Primarolo told a parliamentary committee Tuesday there is little evidence that medical technology has pushed back the point at which a fetus becomes viable, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

The Science and Technology Committee took up the issue under pressure from anti-abortion groups and after seeing scans that showed 12-week fetuses apparently expressing emotions.

Primarolo said that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that 11 percent of babies born at 23 weeks survive, while the viability rate is 1 percent at 22 weeks and zero at 21. She also said that the vast majority of abortions, 89 percent, take place in the first trimester.

Nadine Dorries, a conservative member of parliament, argued that the experts provided misleading information. She also accused them of wanting to keep abortion numbers up.