Mr Field said: "At the moment, this advice given to women considering an abortion is inevitably given by a clinic which is paid the NHS fee for carrying it out.

“This is a clear conflict of interest that would not be allowed anywhere else, because the clinic will not receive the large fee for carrying out the abortion if the woman decides not to go ahead with it.

"My proposal is not closing down choice, but promoting choice – because women will receive independent advice about their options

"Andrew Lansley [the Health Secretary] has invited me to talk to his officials, to see if this can be achieved by changing regulations."

Mr Field suggested family doctors could provide the independent advice.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has strongly rejected claims of a financial interest in persuading women to choose a termination – insisting 20% of those it counsels opt out of an abortion.

Clare Murphy, a BPAS spokeswoman, said: "Like any other medical procedure, women have to consent before they receive abortion treatment. We have no interest in pushing women into procedures they do not want."

Ms Abbott vowed Labour would fight the change, saying: "Increasingly, people up and down the country are looking to take a stand against what they see as an attempt to chip away at abortion access for women."

A DoH spokesman confirmed the talks would take place, saying: "The department wants women who are thinking about having an abortion to be able to have independent counselling.

“However, we do not believe it is necessary to set out this requirement in primary legislation, as the necessary legal mechanisms already exist to enable this."

Asked if the talks could result in a ban on counselling by abortion clinics, the spokesman added: "We are considering these issues."