Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to review the standard NHS practice of not using foetal painkillers before abortion; and what assessment they have made of the consistency of this approach with the current standard NHS practice of using foetal painkillers before foetal surgery from 19 weeks.

The Department does not set or review clinical practice and no specific assessment has been made. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has established a review group to consider the latest evidence on foetal pain and foetal awareness, which is expected to report on its findings by the end of 2022.