MPs on an influential House of Commons committee were locked in disagreement today after releasing contradictory reports on the future of abortion laws.

An official report by the Science and Technology committee, released this morning, said it had found no scientific justification for pro-life campaigners' calls to lower the 24-week limit for abortions.

In addition, in what would represent the biggest ever relaxation in the 40-year-old rules, the committee said that the requirement for two doctors to sign forms before an abortion should be removed to stop delays for women seeking the procedure.

However, in an indication of the disagreement within the committee over today's report, two of the panel’s Tory MPs published a minority report calling for the laws to be tightened, including Dr Bob Spink, who described the inquiry as "shameful".

In an article in The Daily Telegraph Dr Spink, the MP for Castle Point, wrote: "It is simply laughable to compare the viability of aborted babies, who would almost all otherwise be born healthy, with babies who are sadly pre-term, usually indicating pre-disposing medical problems for baby or mother. But that is what the science committee report does."

In its official report, the committee also said that nurses and midwives with suitable training and professional guidance should not be prevented from carrying out all stages of early medical abortions - involving the use of drugs - and early surgical abortions. The committee’s report found no evidence that this move would compromise patient safety or quality of care.

Committee chairman Phil Willis defended the committee's procedures, saying the report was based on "scientific and medical developments since the last amendment of the law" in 1990, and the original Abortion Act, in 1967.

"We urge all MPs and the public to study the evidence we have taken and the conclusions we have reached," he said. The study will now be debated in the House of Commons and MPs are expected to table amendments to the upcoming Human Tissue and Embryos Bill in light of its findings.

The committee heard evidence from more than 20 witnesses during the course of its inquiry. It followed advances in care for premature babies and widespread public interest after the release of 3D images showing foetuses apparently "walking in the womb" at 12 weeks.

"The Liberal Democrat MP Dr Evan Harris, who sat on the committee, attacked the minority report, published by Dr Spink and Nadine Dorries the Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire, claiming it had been based on an "amusing mish mash of paranoid conspiracy theories, pseudo-scientific clap-trap and anti-abortion zealotry".

"This thorough report - after a rigorous inquiry into a set of very narrow scientific issues - sets out clear conclusions on what the scientific evidence can tell us about abortion law reform. The medical evidence is stark about how the threshold of viability has not reduced below 24 weeks, and that is why our conclusions are so firm."

The minority report claimed that the committee had relied on a selective use of evidence and had a biased list of pro-abortion witnesses.

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