Charles Walker raises his concerns about the current time limit in that some children born between 22 and 24 weeks go on to adulthood and have productive lives.

Mr. Walker: Does the right hon. Lady not accept that some children-not many, but some-born prematurely between 22 and 24 weeks go on to adulthood and have productive lives? They are living between 22 and 24 weeks.

Dawn Primarolo: That is not the issue that I was putting to the Committee.

Mr. Walker rose-

Dawn Primarolo: No, just a minute. I was making the point that nothing has changed over that time period. The difficult choices that the hon. Member for Broxbourne (Mr. Walker) and others have identified existed in 1990 and they exist now. We all know that the circumstances in which women have abortions are not easy; the decision is difficult, there are many complex reasons, but up until this evening the House has chosen to place its judgment in the evidence. We have heard mention of that evidence from the EPICure studies and, most recently, from the Trent regional study, which continues to demonstrate that despite improvements in some neonatal units, there is no improvement in the survival rates of those very young babies.

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