Senior Cabinet ministers who are Catholic have been told that they can vote against the Government's controversial fertility Bill after a backlash over its proposals.The unexpected move comes after ministers were told that they would either have to back the Bill or leave the Government.
Ministers such as Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, and Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, are understood to have been uneasy about backing the Bill.
The change in tactics is unusual and MPs will get a free vote on the whole Bill when it comes before the Commons in the New Year.
Amendments to the Bill were expected to be included by MPs who want the legal time limit for abortions to be lowered from 24 to 20 weeks.
MPs are usually given a free vote on these issues of "conscience", but that was ruled out this time because it would be part of a Government Bill.
Other parts of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill include removing the requirement to allow fertility clinics to consider the "need for a father" before providing IVF treatment.
The Bill states that a lesbian couple will both be recognised as the legal parents if they are in a civil partnership.
By giving a free vote the Cabinet ministers could vote against the Bill but they are more likely to abstain instead.
If the Bill had been forced through its passage would in theory have been safer as any "wrecking" amendments would probably have been stopped.
The Catholic Church has been lobbying MPs to oppose the measures.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, called the Bill "profoundly wrong."
Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, attacked the Bill at its first reading in the House of Lords.
Other Catholic Cabinet ministers like Andy Burnham, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is understood to have not been as worried about his stance on the Bill.
In total there are 64 MPs who are Catholic and can vote. They are been targeted by the Catholic church in a bid to scupper the Bill.
Ms Kelly, who has links with the conservative Opus Dei movement of the Catholic Church, has opposed stem cell research proposals and argued against the plans to force Catholic adoption agencies to consider gay couples as parents.
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