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Government 's clumsy effort to appease sex-education lobby threatens parental rights

The Government's clumsy effort to appease the sex-education lobby threatens parental rights. SPUC was criticising comments about sex education by Elizabeth Truss, the education and childcare minister. Mrs Truss said in a letter published in The Times yesterday (15 April) that just as much sex education will be included in the new National Curriculum for England. Antonia Tully of SPUC's Safe at School campaign said: "There is no evidence that teaching primary age children about sex improves their sexual health as they grow up." [SPUC, 16 April]

Baroness Thatcher's voting record on pro-life and pro-family issues

Some SPUC supporters have asked for information about Lady Thatcher's parliamentary record on pro-life and pro-family issues. The following list is necessarily incomplete. In short, she:

• voted for (what became) the Abortion Act 1967 at 2nd reading and at Report stage (voting many times for the bill during all-night sittings), though she was absent at 3rd reading
• showed a mixed pattern of voting on several attempts by anti-abortion MPs to amend the Abortion Act (St John Stevas, Corrie, Alton)
• supported the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill (now Act) 1990, which enshrined destructive embryo research in law and via which the Abortion Act 1967 was extended with ministerial help
• voted against the equalisation of the homosexual and heterosexual ages of consent (2000)
• voted to retain section 28 (banning the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities) on 24 July 2000
• voted against homosexual adoption (16 Oct. 2002)
• voted against various anti-life/anti-family provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill (now Act) 2008

Her record was mixed, with a move in a more positive direction in her later parliamentary years. John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive, commented: "After we have prayed for the repose of her soul, we must renew our prayers that one day we will have clear pro-life leadership from our elected representatives." [John Smeaton, 18 April]

Other stories:

Abortion

• The Gosnell case and Ann Furedi's reaction to it [SPUC youth blog, 17 April]
• From death to life: one post-abortive father's testimony [SPUC youth blog, 17 April]
• Gestational limits are unwise [The Interim, 17 April]
• Ambulance called to Marie Stopes Abortion centre South London [SPUC youth blog, 16 April]
• Tens of thousands of Peruvians march in opposition to the legalization of abortion [LifeSiteNews.com, 16 April]

Sexual ethics

• New Zealand becomes 13th country to legalize gay ‘marriage’ [LifeSiteNews.com, 17 April]
• Commentator: People forced to agree with gay marriage [Christian Institute, 17 April]
• Thousands join dozens of spontaneous protests as France fast-tracks gay ‘marriage’ law [LifeSiteNews.com, 16 April]
• Homosexual activist admits true purpose of battle is to destroy marriage [Illinois Family Institute, 6 April]

Euthanasia

• Paralysed builder to carry on Nicklinson's euthanasia campaign [Guardian, 18 April]

Population

• Japan's population suffers biggest fall in history [Telegraph, 17 April]

General

• The origins of the eugenics movement in Germany [SPUC youth blog, 19 April]
• Barbara Willke, godmother of modern pro-life movement, passes away [LifeNews.com, 15 April]

To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2018