The man behind the Abortion Reform Bill has rejected claims that the bill would ’practically’ legalise sex-selective abortion up to 24 weeks.

The campaign group Stop Gendercide is demanding the bill is put to a select committee in order that it can be amended.

But Dr Alex Allinson has rejected many of the group’s claims, including on sex-selective abortion and that the group’s previous submission had been ignored.

Stop Gendercide claims that if the bill passes in the current form, including abortion upon request up to 14 weeks, it would make the Isle of Man the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to ’formally legalise’ sex-selective abortion.

The sex of a foetus can now be detected as early as seven weeks, it says.

The group also claims the limitations on abortions up to 24 weeks were so ’ill-defined’ they amounted to a ’de fact abortion on demand throughout the second trimester’.

’This risks replicating the situation in the UK, where women have sought and received sex-selective abortions thanks to the "social clause" in the Abortion Act 1967, which has created abortion on demand.’

But Dr Alex Allinson last week wrote back to the group pointing out that, contrary to its assertion that non-invasive pre-natal testing was due to be introduced in the Isle of Man, there were no current plans.

’If introduced, clear local guidelines could and should be created so that parents are not told the sex of their pregnancy,’ he said. ’This would work in the same way that foetal ultrasound scans are interpreted at the moment.’

All doctors had clear guidance on sex-selective abortion through the General Medical Council - it would be grounds for suspension and possibly being struck off the medical register to allow it.

’For this reason, any system which allows for abortion on request does not in any way legalise or legitimise sex-selective abortion.’

The World Health Organisation issued a statement on preventing gender-based sex selection in 2011, which found that: ’It is clear that, while intending to effect a common good, restrictive laws and policies implemented in isolation from efforts to change social norms and structures can have unintended harsh consequences, and may violate the human rights of women.’

In the UK, an attempt to introduce an amendment to the Serious Crime Bill, to outlaw sex-selective abortion, was overwhelmingly rejected, Dr Allinson said. The UK Department of Health had stated there was ’no evidence of sex selection occurring in the UK’.

The medical profession and BMA campaigned against such legislative restrictions as being unnecessary and potentially leading to women not being open with their doctor about their reasons for seeking abortion, Dr Allinson added.

’I have discussed your concerns with our director of public health,’ he told the group. ’She has stated that there is no evidence that any sex-selective abortion is occurring on the island and continues to monitor the gender ratio for new-born children which is completely as it should be statistically.

’There is no reason to include specific clauses in primary legislation or try and restrict access to reproductive healthcare services to women on the island unnecessarily.’

In its list of demands Stop Gendercide calls for the inclusion of an ’explicit statutory prohibition on sex-selective abortion’.

It wants the time-limit for abortion on request to be reduced to seven weeks, as opposed to 14, or preferably the provision to be removed entirely.

And it wants the ’omission of abortion on non-specific or non-vital health grounds or social grounds’.

Spokesman Rani Bilkhu warning against the ’permissive regulatory regime’ the bill would create.

He added: ’We appeal to Tynwald members to oppose any bill, or any provision within it, that would enable the unacceptable sexist abuse of sex-selective abortion.

’Those of us who work with vulnerable women know that sex-selective abortion is a reality in the UK, a fact we have been pointing to for the past two-and-a-half years.

’This would doubtless drive demand for sex-selection to be accessed in the Isle of Man as the proposed system could easily be abused either by Manx residents, or visitors from the UK or elsewhere.’

Stop Gendercide also claims the bill could open the doors for ’abortion tourism’, with people from the UK using fake Manx addresses.

Responding to this claim, Dr Allinson said: ’Whilst a massive improvement on the previous legislation, abortion on request to 14 weeks is close to the European norm with countries like France and Germany offering this healthcare service up to 12 weeks, 14 weeks in Spain and 18 weeks in Sweden.’

He added: ’Clause 4(a) of the bill clearly states that abortion services would only be offered to those women "ordinarily resident on the Island" and there is clear guidance from our Department of Health and Social Care about how this is determined to prevent any form of "health tourism" or other abuse of our NHS.’