Contributions
1,183 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty-third sitting)I am happy to acknowledge that there are many other components of the Bill, but many Members, including the hon. Lady, cited this safeguard as an essential element of the…12 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)The hon. Gentleman is making a very good speech in defence of the change, but could he help me understand something? He said that he supported the previous proposal, involving a…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)I was making the point that there is surely some value in what the hon. Gentleman describes as an adversarial process, in which the decision maker is required to consider whether…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)I think the point the hon. Lady is making is that each member of the panel has a veto over the decision so, in a sense, there has to be unanimity about the approval. However, she…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)This conversation is very helpful, and the point the hon. Lady makes is absolutely right. If we are going to rely on JR as a sort of appeal process, we need to make it clear how…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)The hon. Lady is absolutely right. We will address in later debates the point that insufficient attention will be given to the reasons why an application has been refused. If an…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)This is a key group of amendments. I shall specifically speak to amendment 303, which would prevent a person from seeking multiple assessments from alternative doctors if a second…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)It does seem an extraordinary gap in the Bill, but I am afraid it is not unique to this Bill. In countries where assisted dying in some form is legal, there are remarkable…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship once again, Sir Roger. I am looking forward to this week’s debating. I want to draw the Committee’s attention to further evidence…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)I will speak briefly to each of the amendments in this group. I will allow my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate to speak to the amendment in her name, but I state clearly that I…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)I want to respond to a point made by the hon. Member for Stroud. It is relevant to the whole debate about whether we are talking about a medical treatment at all. He made the…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)Will the hon. Gentleman give way?11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)I beg to move amendment 348, in clause 8, page 5, line 10, at end insert— “(c) inform the person’s usual or treating doctor and, where relevant, the doctor who referred the person…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)The hon. Lady is absolutely right, and that is very welcome. My concern is that there is no obligation to do anything about it. There is no obligation for the doctor to integrate…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)I will come on to that. I agree with him: amendment 422 is a very helpful amendment, and I support that. It is a very good suggestion that wider consultation should be made, and…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)Will the hon. Lady give way?11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)As I have said in my many exchanges with the hon. Gentleman, I want to see the good practice that he claims—absolutely accurately, I am sure—to perform is applied across the…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twentieth sitting)What the amendment clarifies is that the doctor does not have to look at any records at all unless he or she considers them relevant. It gives total discretion to the doctor to…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)On a point of order, Mrs Harris. I do not know whether this is appropriate, but was there a proposal to adjourn? I am conscious that my hon. Friend is about to make a very long…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty First sitting)Let us not rehash the conversations that we had in the evidence sessions, but I would advise Members to review those conversations. Indeed, there is further publicly available…11 Mar 2025