Earlier this year, when the House of Keys gave Alex Dr Allinson the go-ahead to bring forward a private member’s bill to update the island’s laws, Health Minister Kate Beecroft voted against.

She argued there was no medical evidence to support either side of the argument.

But, Dr Allinson said the petition, plus harrowing accounts that were submitted as part of the public consultation on his proposals, along with evidence gathered by Dr Rebecca Rowley of Liverpool University, meant that case could no longer be argued.

’The government is very keen on evidence-based policy,’ he said. ’This petition is part of the new wave of evidence.

’This new wave of research and looking at people’s experience in the Isle of Man, there is now a huge body of evidence to show why we need to change the law and why it is so important.’

Dr Allinson last week met legislative draftsmen to work on the final version of his bill, before it is put before the House of Keys in the near future.

There will be fine-tuning of the wording, after the first draft appeared in the summer as part of the consultation process. Comments from that consultation have had an influence, he said, for instance the need for a safety zone around any clinic or centre performing abortion procedures, to ensure women do not have to run a gauntlet of protestors.

Although Dr Allinson has been praised by pro-choice campaigners - including CALM and the Handmaids IoM group - for pushing for reform, he admitted to some regret at the time it was taking to get legislation before the Keys.

’Since January, 80-90 women from the Isle of Man, while we were waiting for the law to change, have had to go across for an abortion. Two a week.’

Dr Allinson pointed out the inherent problems of women from the Isle of Man having to travel away for an abortion.

Clinics in the UK often preferred to use a surgical procedure, rather than supply pills, for women they knew would have a long journey afterwards, because it could mean the induced miscarriage took place while the woman was travelling.

’Women are persuaded to have surgical terminations, with general anaesthetic, which carry a much higher risk of complications,’ he said.

By enabling a service to be provided in the Isle of Man, he said, women would have genuine choice, while having access to full medical support and not having to endure the trauma of extra travel.

Dr Allinson said it was time to change the current situation, which forced women to seek help not available in the Isle of Man.

’We have charities providing care for women in the Isle of Man, in the same way as they provide care for women in Third World countries,’ he said.