Prime Minister Robert Abela said that discussions on the exact wording for the controversial abortion bill will be held today and next week.

He was asked by The Malta Independent to divulge the exact wording of the controversial abortion bill, which has not been debated in parliament since December.

The bill, as it is now stands, reads that no crime under the clauses banning abortion under Maltese law would be committed "when the termination of a pregnancy results from a medical intervention aimed at protecting the health of a pregnant woman suffering from a medical complication which may put her life at risk or her health in grave jeopardy."

On 4 January, Health Minister Chris Fearne had announced during a press conference that the government was to propose amendments to the wording of the bill after protests by the anti-abortion lobby, who interpreted the wording as meaning that abortion will be made legal.

Abela said that in fact, he will be holding discussions today and next week, which will continue to identify principal concerns over the potential for abuse of the law.

He continued that the amendment speaks of a sensitive subject which entails the protection of the mother's life and health. Abela maintained that the life and health of the mother are sacred, and government will ensure that there is no room for any form of abuse.

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne was on Friday also asked about the abortion bill during a separate press conference.

"I am happy that we are going through this period where the hype and the frenzy on this amendment (termination of pregnancy) has been settled, because now people can understand that we want to safeguard, in a genuine way, the practice of saving lives", Fearne said

He said that discussions will end in the coming weeks after which the amendments are going to be made public.