New attempts to impose stricter restrictions on the Abortion Reform Bill are set to be made.

Battle lines will be drawn once more in the House of Keys today (Tuesday) when the detailed consideration of Dr Alex Allinson’s proposed legislation resumes.

Former health minister Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) will make a fresh attempt to alter the Bill’s definition of health to remove reference to ’social well-being’.

Dr Allinson and reform supporters are expected to be against Mrs Beecroft’s amendment, pointing once more to the fact the bill follows the World Health Organisation definition and that any change could be used as a back-door method to restrict abortion services.

A previous attempt to change the definition, by Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East), failed. But, as the entire clause containing definitions has yet to be voted upon, the door has been left open for more amendments.

Others will attempt to take advantage of that open door.

Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael) wants to insert a definition of ’serious impairment’ that would specify that it would significantly reduce the length or quality of a child’s life, would be permanent and irreversible and could not be dealt with by corrective surgery.

He also wants to add another definition, this time for ’serious social grounds’ - which is used in later, approved, clauses - to mean conditions affecting the woman which are long-term and will have a ’significant, adverse and enduring impact on her health’.

Meanwhile Graham Cregeen (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) has an amendment that would say serious social grounds would ’have such meaning as defined by the department [of Health and Social Care]’.

MHKs can approve only one of those two amendments - or they could choose to reject both.

Although they have been on opposites of the abortion debate, it is understood Dr Allinson and Mr Robertshaw have consulted over the latter’s amendments to ensure protection for medical staff who have a conscientious objection to being involved in the provision of abortion services and also to cover procedures after a termination procedure has been carried out.

Dr Allinson will also support an amendment tabled by Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) that will ensure that there is no obligation for a doctor who is treating a patient who has previously obtained an abortion pill illegally to report the matter to the police.

Ralph Peake (Douglas North) will return with a proposed new clause that would create ’access zones’ - effectively safety zones - around hospitals and practices to prevent anti-abortion protestors targeting vulnerable women seeking treatment or counselling.

After concerns about the wording of his clause were raised earlier this month, it has been altered.

Protestors could still face prosecution if they targeted vulnerable women or staff, but the clause now has a stipulation that it would only apply if they ignored an initial warning by police.

Some of the major points of the Abortion Reform Bill have been dealt with already.

Key components of the time limits have been addressed, including the provision that will permit abortion on request up to 14 weeks, and for serious medical or social grounds from 15-24 weeks.

An additional clause that would prevent sex-selective abortions was approved has already been added to the bill.