GB 1538 A16 - Abortion Act 1967: papers of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1538 A16

Title

Abortion Act 1967: papers of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Date(s)

  • 1964-1982 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

4 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

In 1967 a bill to legalise the medical termination of pregnancy in certain circumstances was introduced to parliament by the MP David Steel. The College was closely involved with and monitored the provisions of the bill during its progress through Parliament until its enactment.

Archival history

GB 1538 A16 1964-1982 Collection (fonds) 4 boxes Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
In 1967 a bill to legalise the medical termination of pregnancy in certain circumstances was introduced to parliament by the MP David Steel. The College was closely involved with and monitored the provisions of the bill during its progress through Parliament until its enactment.

Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists relating to the Abortion Act 1967 and subsequent amendments, 1964-1982, comprising the principal files of College presidents on the Abortion Act 1967 and the College's involvement in the issue of abortion, from the presidency of Sir Hector MacLennan to the first year of that of Sir Rustan Feroze, plus papers relating to a College enquiry into the first year of the 1967 Act and the College's joint study with the Royal College of General Practitioners of attitudes to pregnancy. The files contain correspondence, reports, copies of the abortion bill, legal opinions, evidence and responses of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to the Lane Committee of Inquiry, copies of Hansard, memoranda and pamphlets on abortion, press cuttings.

No further accruals are expected; records relating to abortion are now kept within their original context.

The records are arranged as outlined in the scope and content.

Correspondence and unpublished papers open 20 years after last date on file. Published material is open.

Copyright is vested in the College, other than published material, which is in the copyright of the publisher.
English

A general index to the files listed in the catalogue of the Archives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is maintained in the College Archives; refer to the College Archivist.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists holds correspondence which was not removed from the main files of presidents' papers relating to the 1967 Act and later amendments (Reference: A4); Honorary secretaries' files on abortion (Reference: A7/4/3 and A7/6/7); additional records relating to the Lane committee of enquiry into the working of the 1967 Act (Reference: A3/2/3); Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists's response to a Ministry of Health enquiry into abortion dated 1938-1938 (Reference: C18); records of the RCOG working party on the unplanned pregnancy, 1969-1972 (Reference: M7); The College's record of the joint RCOG-RCGP study of attitudes to pregnancy and induced abortion, 1972-1976, (Reference: C7/2); correspondence of an Advisory Appointments Committee relating to wording of advertisements for appointments to hospitals where abortions are performed, 1977 (Reference: C21/5); records of the College's steering committee for a study into late abortion, 1981-1984 (Reference: B7E); proceedings of a postgraduate meeting to discuss a College enquiry into late abortion, 1984 (Reference: E4/32); records of the working party on termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality, 1995-1996 (Reference: M13); published College guidelines on induced abortion (Reference: P4/11 (1997), P5/7 (2000) and P5/10 (2001)).

The archives of the Abortion Law Reform Association, 1935-1983, plus some papers of the Co-ordinating Campaign for the Defence of the 1967 Abortion Act, are held at the Archives and Manuscripts Department of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.

The results of the RCOG questionnaire on abortion were published in the British Medical Journal (1970), 2, pp. 529-535.

Compiled by Clare Cowling, revised by Julie Tancell as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000. November 2002 Abortion Associations Birth control Family planning Feroze , Sir , Rustam Moolan , b 1920 , Knight , obstetrician and gynaecologist Human reproduction Lane Committee of Inquiry Maclennan , Sir , Hector , 1905-1978 , Knight , gynaecologist Medical personnel Medical profession Medical sciences Newspaper press Organizations Personnel Physicians Physiology Pregnancy Press Press cuttings Professional associations Reproductive cycle Royal College of General Practitioners Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists , President Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists x British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Surgeons Surgery People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists relating to the Abortion Act 1967 and subsequent amendments, 1964-1982, comprising the principal files of College presidents on the Abortion Act 1967 and the College's involvement in the issue of abortion, from the presidency of Sir Hector MacLennan to the first year of that of Sir Rustan Feroze, plus papers relating to a College enquiry into the first year of the 1967 Act and the College's joint study with the Royal College of General Practitioners of attitudes to pregnancy. The files contain correspondence, reports, copies of the abortion bill, legal opinions, evidence and responses of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to the Lane Committee of Inquiry, copies of Hansard, memoranda and pamphlets on abortion, press cuttings.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

No further accruals are expected; records relating to abortion are now kept within their original context.

System of arrangement

The records are arranged as outlined in the scope and content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Correspondence and unpublished papers open 20 years after last date on file. Published material is open.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is vested in the College, other than published material, which is in the copyright of the publisher.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists holds correspondence which was not removed from the main files of presidents' papers relating to the 1967 Act and later amendments (Reference: A4); Honorary secretaries' files on abortion (Reference: A7/4/3 and A7/6/7); additional records relating to the Lane committee of enquiry into the working of the 1967 Act (Reference: A3/2/3); Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists's response to a Ministry of Health enquiry into abortion dated 1938-1938 (Reference: C18); records of the RCOG working party on the unplanned pregnancy, 1969-1972 (Reference: M7); The College's record of the joint RCOG-RCGP study of attitudes to pregnancy and induced abortion, 1972-1976, (Reference: C7/2); correspondence of an Advisory Appointments Committee relating to wording of advertisements for appointments to hospitals where abortions are performed, 1977 (Reference: C21/5); records of the College's steering committee for a study into late abortion, 1981-1984 (Reference: B7E); proceedings of a postgraduate meeting to discuss a College enquiry into late abortion, 1984 (Reference: E4/32); records of the working party on termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality, 1995-1996 (Reference: M13); published College guidelines on induced abortion (Reference: P4/11 (1997), P5/7 (2000) and P5/10 (2001)).

Finding aids

A general index to the files listed in the catalogue of the Archives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is maintained in the College Archives; refer to the College Archivist.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

The archives of the Abortion Law Reform Association, 1935-1983, plus some papers of the Co-ordinating Campaign for the Defence of the 1967 Abortion Act, are held at the Archives and Manuscripts Department of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Rules and/or conventions used

National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area