Bishop Peter Eagles wants further investigation into whether the Abortion Reform Bill does enough to protect the interests of the child.

He suggested a select committee should look into the matter, or a committee of the whole Legislative Council.

The House of Keys rejected a select committee investigation over fears of unnecessary delay. It instead opted to use the ’committee of the whole House’ format to enable MHKs to take evidence during their consideration of the bill.

Although he voted in favour of granting a first reading to the bill the Bishop said the legislation took them into a ’new category of moral and ethical decision-making’.

The Bishop, who sits on the Legislative Council, added: ’It takes great care, and rightly so, to protect the needs of the mother.

’It takes less concern, I think, to protect the other life involved.

’It is clear to me that, in our understanding of human life, in this particular regard, both lives have significance, and both lives matter. The mother and the child.’

He said the right to life - ’the right that every human being has’ - was the basis of western legislation.

They were important questions that should be considered, but he queried whether sufficient weight had been given to them.

The Bishop said he hoped that a select committee or a committee of the whole Legislative Council could examine them further.

Bill Henderson, who is in charge of guiding the bill through the Legislative Council, said he welcomed the Bishop’s input, but added that he thought it was right that the needs of the woman were the focus.

’We should have the woman at the centre of this and what is right for her and her situation,’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Henderson said Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson, who took the bill through the Keys, and legislative drafter Howard Connell, would be available to answer questions at later stages of the bill’s scrutiny.