British parliament is launching an inquiry into the impact of scientific developments on abortion law, including whether medical advances in the care of very premature babies mean the 24-week time limit should be reduced.

I would love to see science be used in a way as to make fetuses viable earlier. The investigation by the Commons science and technology committee is the first dedicated to the issue of abortion conducted in parliament, and could prompt a change to the UK’s 40-year-old abortion law.

You have to love, however, that Parliament has ruled out examination of the ethical or moral issues surrounding abortion time limits. What other political issue does anyone say we must not discuss ethical issues.

But as limited as the conversation is in England, it is the pinnacle of reasoned debate when compared to the gag rule on abortion in America. In the land of the free, we can’t even have a conversation about any aspect of abortion law because five people in robes said this issue was too important for the people to decide. Hooray for democracy?