XN000022-1981-02-11 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981

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HE THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO SAY THAT APART FROM CLAUSE 4 AND THE TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 1, THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WERE GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE -- EXCEPT TO FR MCGOVERN.

HE SAID HE HAD NOT THOUGHT THAT THE MARGINAL CHANGE IN CLAUSE 4(E) IN NOT REQUIRING THE EXERCISE OF MEDICAL OPINION IN ABORTIONS INVOLVING VERY YOUNG GIRLS AND PREGNANCIES ARISING FROM INCEST AND RAPE WOULD BE OBJECTIONABLE TO THE PUBLIC. PARTICULARLY AS NO SUCH CEJECTIONS WERE RAISED BY THE BULK OF THEM.

HOWEVER HE WELCOMED DR FANG'S AD HOC GROUP AND MR SWAINE

IN PINPOINTING THE DES IRABILITY OF MAINTAINING MEDICAL GROUNDS AS THE ONLY BASIS FOR PERMITTING A LEGAL ABORTION AND WOULD AMEND THIS PROVISION.

HE ADDED THAT IN THE CHARTER FOR THE 80'S PRESENTED BY PEHABILITATION INTERNATIONAL AND THE UNITED NATIONS STATEMENTS PROCLAIMING 1981 AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS, HE COULD FIND NO SUGGESTION AGAINST ABORTION: MUCH LESS ABORTION OF ABNORMAL FOETUS.

REFERRING TO DR FANG'S STATEMENT THAT THERE WAS A HIGH ERROR FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH PRE-NATAL TESTING FOR FOETAL ABNORMALITIES, MR HO SAID HE WAS ADVISED AND THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE CONCLUSIONS IN AN ASSESSMENT OF THE HAZARDS CF AMNIOCENTESIS CONTAINED IN AN ISSUE OF THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY THAT THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGE OF AMNIOCENTESIS DEPENDED CRITICALLY UPON THE MEDICAL INDICATION FOR THE PROCEDURE- AND IN HONG KONG THE INDICATIONS ARE SUCH THAT THE PROCEDURES WILL BE BENEFICIAL WHEN ALL FACTORS WERE CONSIDERED AND THAT THE ERROR FACTOR WOULD BE MINIMAL.

IN HIS OPINION, MR CHAN'S AMENDMENT WOULD MAKE THIS SUB-SECTION UNWORKABLE. IF ADOPTED, IT WILL CIRCUMSCRIBE AND NULLIFY THE DECISION OF INDIVIDUAL PARENTS.

ON POINTS RAISED BY MR WONG LAM AND MR S. L. CHEN, MR HO SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE PROVISION IN THE BILL THEY REFERRED TO WOULD CAUSE IMMORALITY, BUT RATHER THAT GIVEN CERTAIN UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD MINIMISE THE RISK OF FURTHER MISERY.

+HOWEVER, IF THE YOUNG WOMAN DESIRES TO HAVE HER BABY, AND CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS HER ACTIONS THEN I AM ASSURED THAT, AT LAW EVEN AN OVER-ANXIOUS PARENT CANNOT REQUIRE HER TO HAVE AN ABORTION,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID IT WAS ILLOGICAL FOR DR FANG NOT TO OBJECT TO ABORTIONS BEING AVAILABLE IN CASES OF PREGNANCIES ARISING FROM INCEST OR VIOLENT RAPE. BUT AVAILABLE TO A VICTIM OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE PROCURED BY DRUGS, THREATS OR FALSE PRETENCES.

UNDER COMMON LAW ALL THESE CASES CONSTITUTE RAPE, AND HE DOES

SHOULD

NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED THAT THESE VICTIMS OF RAPE

BE REQUIRED TO SUFFER THIS FURTHER PENALTY OF HAVING TO BEAR TO FULL TIME IN HER WOMB THIS CRUEL SEED.

+BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION DO NOT SHARE THIS VIEW, MR HO SAID.

/AS REGARDS