The Welsh Government this week launched a public consultation on proposals to make permanent the current rules allowing women to take both abortion pills at home.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Welsh Government introduced a temporary approval in Wales, allowing women and girls to take both pills for an Early Medical Abortion up to 9 weeks and 6 days gestation in their own homes, following a tele-medicine consultation.

In its consultation document, the Welsh Government says it's seeking views to better understand:

• • impact and experience of the temporary approval;
  • benefits of making the temporary approval permanent;
  • risks of making the temporary approval permanent; and
  • evidence base for making the temporary approval permanent.

The consultation closes on 23 February 2021. It follows similar announcements by the UK Government and the Scottish Government.

A consultation provides an opportunity to highlight the many serious issues with the scheme, such as how it will effectively protect women who are being coerced into an abortion and do not have the extra safeguard of a face-to-face consultation. There are also concerns that women are not having follow-up consultations and that data is not being accurately gathered.

There is therefore an urgent need to respond to this consultation, as it could pave the way for home abortions to a fixed part of the new normal.

Given the serious safety concerns for women and evidence that babies have been born alive due to this policy, it is vital that as many people as possible speak against any move to make the scheme permanent.

We will producing a guide to helping supporters to respond to the consultation. The consultation deadline is 23 February 2021 so there is still time to respond.