(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations (which extend to England and Wales) are made under section 2 of the Abortion Act 1967, and replace the Abortion Regulations 1968 and the three sets of amending regulations. These Regulations make new provision to take account in particular of the amendments to the Abortion Act 1967 made by section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37), including the new grounds for abortion introduced by those amendments. The Regulations—
(a) prescribe forms for the purpose of certifying opinions under section 1 of the Act and the time for such certification (regulation 3(1), (2) and (3) and Schedule 1);
(b) provide for the preservation and disposal of such certificates (regulation 3(4) and (5));
(c) require notice of the abortion, and information relevant to it, to be given to the Chief Medical Officer (regulation 4 and Schedule 2);
(d) restrict the disclosure of such notices and information (regulation 5); and
(e) revoke the Abortion Regulations 1968 and the three sets of amending regulations (regulation 6 and Schedule 3).