Summary A plea is made for the use of the Abbe flap in the primary repair of selected major double cleft lips operated on at plastic centres, and the start in a long-term investigation of this procedure is described. The high proportion of bad results in late childhood and adolescence, especially from the orthodontic and cosmetic points of view, of orthodox primary methods of closure from local tissues is noted as a justification or even as a necessary stimulus for change. A further plea is made that the closure of these and other cleft lips in babies fit for operation should be done within two to four weeks of birth, and not delayed for months as is the general course in England to-day.