MPs praise SPUC’s campaign against morning after pills

MPs praise SPUC’s campaign against morning-after pills Westminster, --The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) yesterday (31 March) presented a 96,500-signature petition against morning-after pills in schools to parliament. Mr David Atkinson, Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, and Mr Kevin McNamara, Labour MP for Hull North, accepted the forms from Miss Fiorella Sultana de Maria, SPUC's research officer, Mrs Katherine Hampton, SPUC's education officer, and Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's political secretary, at the Houses of Parliament. Also present was Mr Jim Dobbin, Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton. Mr Atkinson and Mr McNamara presented the petition to parliament in the House of Commons chamber yesterday evening. Mr McNamara told the house that he thought he was the last MP still in the house to have voted against the 1967 Abortion Act, which he described as pernicious. He said: "I therefore completely support SPUC's campaign against the morning-after pill." Mr Atkinson told the house that he was proud to have worked with SPUC during his 27 years in Parliament and also fully supported the society's campaign against the morning-after pill. John Smeaton, SPUC's national director, said: "Morning-after pills are described as contraception but they can also cause an early abortion. They contain a massive dose of hormones and do not protect against sexually-transmitted disease. It is particularly wrong that schoolgirls as young as 11 can be given these pills without even their parents' knowing." The petition states that: "the supplying to schoolchildren of abortifacient birth control drugs&devices is ethically and socially unacceptable and that such supply without the knowledge or consent of parents constitutes a serious assault on parental responsibility." The petition calls upon the House of Commons to urge the government to: "repeal or revoke any legislation allowing the supplying of abortifacient birth control drugs&devices to schoolchildren, in particular the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Amendment Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/1917) and section 63 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001" and to: "lay the aforementioned legislation again before the House of Commons, re-drafted so as to prohibit the supplying of abortifacient birth control drugs&devices to schoolchildren." All the pictures were taken yesterday (31 March) morning at St Stephen's entrance to the Palace of Westminster by Bob McKenzie. SPUC can be telephoned on (020) 7222 5845 and John Smeaton's mobile telephone number is 07785 325808.