A new study shows that Northern Ireland has far fewer children proportionately in foster or residential care than in England, Wales or Scotland.

The research, carried out by seven higher education institutions, found that if England, Scotland and Wales could reduce the number of children in care to the same rate as Northern Ireland, there would be 40 per cent fewer children in care in England, 50 per cent fewer in Wales and 60 per cent fewer in Scotland.

Out of the four nations it is only Northern Ireland who did not introduce the 1967 Abortion Act. In Northern Ireland abortion is permitted only if the mother’s life is at risk. The coexistence of abortion available on demand and higher numbers of children in foster or residential care is very suggestive should not be understated.

This new research highlights that limiting abortion does not necessarily lead to unwanted pregnancies and an increase in the number of children in care.

Northern Ireland’s laws on abortion have come under criticism recently, with some MPs and campaign groups applying pressure on the UK Government to enforce the 1967 Abortion Act on Northern Ireland, even though abortion it is a strictly devolved issue.

There are 100,000 people alive today in Northern Ireland precisely because the Abortion Act was not extended to Northern Ireland. In comparison over 9 million lives have been lost in Great Britain since the Act was introduced.

Northern Ireland’s laws on abortion seeks to uphold and protect both mothers and unborn children as a far as this is possible and are framed in a way that does not pit the mother’s rights against those of her unborn child.