We produce briefings for MPs and peers, to help resources inform and shape debates and questions you need in the House of Commons and the House of Lords on pro-life issues. We also work with politicians in Holyrood, Stormont and the Welsh Parliament.
In addition, we submit consultation responses to a number of inquiries including from select committees, public bill committees and politicians proposing bills.
What You’ll Find Here
On this page we provide:
Downloadable links to our pro-life briefings for MPs and peers, designed to inform debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Access to consultation responses submitted to select committees, public bill committees, and politicians.
Resources for politicians in Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont, and the Welsh Parliament on pro-life issues.
September 2026
A Response to the Scottish Abortion Law Review
In the Programme for Government 2023-24, the Scottish Government committed to undertake a review of the abortion law in Scotland. As part of this review, they convened an ‘expert group’ to consider current legislation and propose legislative changes.
In this publication, SPUC aims to respond to their proposals and to present counter proposals so that the abortion law might better reflect the humanity of the unborn and protect vulnerable women.
August 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
A briefing on the private member’s Bill introduced by Lauren Edwards MP.
By reintroducing the legislation as it was when it received its Third Reading on 20 June 2025, it appears Ms Edwards is hoping to take advantage of the Parliament Act, which would allow the Bill to become law without the approval of the House of Lords. Enacting a private member’s Bill in this way is unprecedented, and throws up many questions.
March 2026
Clause 208 and investigations of women for stillbirth and miscarriage
There has been much debate surrounding the clause in the Crime and Policing Bill to decriminalise abortion (191 at Committee stage, now 208 at Report) and investigations following a stillbirth or miscarriage, where it is suspected that the pregnant woman may have taken abortion pills.
This briefing shows that the risk of women being unnecessarily subjected to investigation is negligible.
January 2026
Pills-by-Post: A Failed Policy
Authorisation for women to procure abortions without an in-person medical consultation was introduced in 2020 as a temporary measure during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the mounting evidence of the risks posed to women and the problems regulating the use of abortion drugs, the “pills-by-post” policy was made permanent in March 2022.
This briefing examines the mounting evidence of the risks posed to women.
January 2026
Abortion Statistics England and Wales 2023
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Liam McArthur, (Lib Dem MSP for the Orkney Islands) and is the third attempt to change the law in Scotland since 2010.
This briefing sets out the features of the Bill, the hazards it contains and the potential threats that it poses for the sick and the vulnerable.
August 2025
Can safeguards make assisted dying safe?
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Liam McArthur, (Lib Dem MSP for the Orkney Islands) and is the third attempt to change the law in Scotland since 2010.
This briefing sets out the features of the Bill, the hazards it contains and the potential threats that it poses for the sick and the vulnerable.
July 2025
Decriminalisation: The legal consequences of removing women from abortion law
On Tuesday 17 June, MPs debated New Clause 1, tabled by Tonia Antoniazzi MP, to the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill. After less than two hours debate, MPs approved the proposal by 379 votes to 137. New Clause 1 is now Clause 191 to the Crime and Policing Bill.
This briefing scrutinises the proposal, examines the reasons why some women are being prosecuted for illegal abortion, and considers if removing abortion from the criminal law is the correct solution.
December 2024
Pills-by-Post: A failed policy
Authorisation for women to procure abortions without an in-person medical consultation was introduced in 2020 as a temporary measure during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the mounting evidence of the risks posed to women and the problems regulating the use of abortion drugs, the “pills-by-post” policy was made permanent in March 2022. While there are no definitive figures for the number of pills-by-post abortions, taking both abortion drugs at home is now the most common procedure, accounting for 52% of all abortions in 2021.
November 2024
Terminally ill adults (End of Life) Bill
Few issues are more contentious than assisted suicide or are the subject of such passionate debate in Parliament. So far, Parliament has not been persuaded to introduce the concept into UK law. When last voted on by MPs in 2015, the proposal was rejected by 330 votes to 118.
This briefing examines the specific features and safeguards of the Bill, drawing on the experience of other jurisdictions to assess the likely impact of legislation. It does not examine all the arguments for and against assisted suicide.
August 2024
Can safeguards make assisted dying safe?
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced by Liam McArthur, (Lib Dem MSP for the Orkney Islands) and is the third attempt to change the law in Scotland since 2010.
This briefing sets out the features of the Bill, the hazards it contains and the potential threats that it poses for the sick and the vulnerable.
July 2024
Abortion – A Guide for Parliamentarians
For many, abortion law in the UK is a settled issue. However, practise has changed significantly, with medical abortions at home now being the most common method. The last few years have also seen changes to abortion law in Northern Ireland, and in the right to protest abortion outside clinics. Events in other countries have also brought the issue to the fore.
April 2024
Should Assisted Suicide Be Legalised?
Few issues are more contentious than assisted suicide but no comparable issue has had more parliamentary time devoted to it. Legislation for its introduction has been tabled eight times in the last 10 years and it has been debated twice in Westminster Hall – on 4 July 2022 and on 29 April 2024. It is almost certain that the legalisation
of assisted suicide will be debated in the next parliament.
This briefing reflects the experience of countries where assisted suicide is lawful; the detrimental effect on the provision of palliative care, the increasing pressure on the economically marginalised to end their lives, the rise in suicide in the general population and other unforeseen consequences.
May 2024
Abortion: Punitive Measures
A number of amendments related to abortion have been tabled at the Report Stage of the Criminal Justice Bill. Dame Diana Johnson’s NC1, tabled in February, would decriminalise abortion by removing women from the criminal law related to abortion. Stella Creasy has now tabled a new amendment, NC40, which uses different means to decriminalise abortion.
This amendment would fully decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks, and de facto up to the point of birth. Unusually, it would remove doctors from the criminal law on abortion, not just women. Concerns have also been raised about including section 60 of OAPA, which is used to charge infanticide.
February 2024
Should women be removed from the criminal law related to abortion?
On Tuesday 28 November 2023, Labour MPs Dame Diana Johnson and Stella Creasy tabled amendments NC1 and NC2 respectively to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill. These amendments, which would both decriminalise abortion, were debated at Committee stage on Thursday 25 January 2024 and withdrawn. Now, Dame Diana has tabled a slightly amended version of her new clause (also NC1).
This briefing scrutinises the amendment, examines the reasons women are being prosecuted for illegal abortion, and considers if removing abortion from the criminal law is the correct solution.
December 2023
Call for Evidence on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill
Read SPUC’s response to the Scottish Parliament’s consultation on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill that seeks to introduce buffer zones around the country’s abortion clinics.
October 2023
Abortion and Coercion
We often associate abortion with words like “choice” and “autonomy”. In reality, many abortions take place because a woman feels she has no choice – either because of her circumstances, or because she has been pressured by her partner, family, or even medical professionals.
A recent BBC poll found that 15% of British women had been coerced into having an abortion that they did not want. This data is shocking – and shows that coercion in abortion decisions is an urgent and immediate threat to women’s health and wellbeing and is an often-unrecognised form of domestic abuse.
June 2023
Should schools in Northern Ireland have to teach pupils that they have a right to abortion?
The Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 will force all schools – regardless of their ethos, the religious or moral views of the headteacher and/or the board of governors – to teach children that they have a right to abortion and how to obtain one without the knowledge of their parents. It will also prohibit the presentation of any opinion opposed to abortion.
This briefing explains how these Regulations are fundamentally discriminatory.
June 2023
Should Abortion Be Decriminalised?
On 12th June 2023, the Crown Court at Stoke on Trent sentenced Carla Foster, a 44 year old mother of three, to 28 months imprisonment for the “offence of administering poison with intent to procure a miscarriage.”
This briefing details the reasons why this case should not be seen as justification Abortion providers and MPs are already using this sad case to call for the complete decriminalisation of abortion.
This briefing details the reasons why this case should not be seen as justification for this.
May 2023
Complicit: Is UK money contributing to coerced abortion in China?
This shocking report suggests that the UK is still contributing to schemes that fund China’s birth control policies – despite the Government pledging on different occasions to reduce dramatically, or better still end, aid to China.
November 2022
Should access to abortion be a human right?
In June 2022, the Government rejected calls to include access to abortion in the Bill of Rights. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab believed it was unnecessary and warned against creating a situation where abortion law was decided through litigation rather than by Parliament.E-petition 619334 calls on the Government to include abortion rights in the Bill of Rights, and will be debated on Monday 28 November.
This briefing examines points raised in the petition, as well as international law around abortion, and the implications of making abortion a right.
Briefing Series for MSPs on Assisted Suicide
In September 2022, Liam McArthur MSP lodged his Assisted Dying (Scotland) Bill. This series of briefings examine the problems with assisted suicide.
August 2022
Submission to the Consultation on the proposed Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill
SPUC’s submission to the consultation by Gillian MacKay MSP on the proposed Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill.
December 2021
Submission to the Consultation on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill
SPUC’s submission to the consultation by Liam McArthur MSP on the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
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Latest Press Releases
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SPUC response to SNP decision to cancel fringe event that sought to highlight the reality of coerced abortion in Scotland
The SNP has cancelled an SPUC fringe event on coerced abortion.
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SPUC authors open letter to Glasgow officials: Protect homeless pregnant women and their children
Image Source: Shutterstock SPUC’s Executive Director Michael Robinson has authored a letter to all members of the Glasgow Council, Council Chief Executive, and every Glasgow MP and MSP. This comes after the charity Homeless Project Scotland refused emergency housing to a 34-week pregnant mother fleeing abuse. One staff member said…
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SPUC Welcomes SNP Decision to Drop Radical “Abortion Up to Birth” Motion from their Conference Agenda
SPUC has today welcomed the decision by the SNP to remove a controversial draft motion on abortion law reform from its final National Conference agenda.
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MPs reject Terminally Ill Adults Bill, saying assisted suicide would endanger the vulnerable
MPs voting against the assisted suicide bill have warned that the “NHS should be saving lives, not taking lives”as the risks to the most vulnerable were highlighted during a debate at Westminster. The debate concluded with the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill being voted down by 286 to 270 votes.
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SPUC calls on John Swinney to rule out “abortion up to birth” as SNP conference draft agenda reveals push for decriminalisation
Total decriminalisation would strip away existing legal time limits, opening the door to abortion on demand for any reason up to the moment of birth.
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Abortion now leading cause of death in Scotland, a new analysis of data has revealed
These figures outpace heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined.
All Press Releases