I WELCOME the Government’s proposals to offer pregnant women the new non-invasive prenatal test on the NHS.

It is a safer and more accurate test for genetic disorders than amniocentesis but is currently only available in the UK if mothers pay for it, which can run into hundreds of pounds.

With this new test parents will be provided with more detailed information during pregnancy and fewer women will have to suffer miscarriages.

Sadly the test will only be available on the NHS from 2018.

Perhaps if the Government wasn’t spending billions on foreign aid each year it could afford to introduce the test earlier.

Louise Bours

North west MEP