Britain should have a national debate about lowering the 24 week abortion limit, the Conservative party's vice-chair for women has said.

Maria Caulfield said most parts of Europe do not allow women to abort their babies past "15 or 16 weeks" and highlighted studies which show 50 per cent of babies born at 22 weeks survive. The UK's abortion limit is 24 weeks.

Speaking to The House magazine Ms Caulfield said: "We’ve got one of the most liberal abortion laws in the world, and if you look at the abortion debate that’s happening in Ireland at the moment where they’re about to have a referendum later this year, they’re only looking at termination up to 12 weeks.

"I think we need to have that debate. I’m not someone who’s hard and fast in any of those kinds of views. But I think we do need to have a debate.

"The 24-week limit was introduced at a time when babies were really not viable at 24 weeks. Now babies who are born premature grow up to live long, healthy lives like the rest of us.”