Contributions
411 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I am grateful, Mr Dowd. The evidence that we have received is that this is a test. These are assessments that happen every day across the country. Now, there are more complex…26 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Fourteenth sitting)Well, that was the sense—26 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Fourteenth sitting)We need to be careful when we say that the Mental Capacity Act is misunderstood, full stop. Let us be clear—26 Feb 2025HANSARD Doncaster Sheffield AirportMy hon. Friend is making a characteristically tub-thumping speech about this airport. My constituency, and Maltby in particular, has many people who worked at and used the…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Can my hon. Friend clarify for me what she means by “reasonable certainty”, and how that differs from the clause as drafted? Can she also explain why, in her amendments, normal…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Eleventh sitting)Will the hon. Gentleman give way?12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Eleventh sitting)The hon. Member is making a powerful argument, but there is a difference between trying to control external factors that may affect an individual making a decision and primary…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Eleventh sitting)The hon. Member said that my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge and I contradicted each other. I did not quite understand the logic of her argument; I do not…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)This debate has been very interesting and has reminded me of my life before being elected. When I was a barrister in court, I was often junior counsel and, by the time I stood up,…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)My reading of the Bill—we are dealing with clause 1, but we will get to clause 24—is that clause 24(3) says: “In the Suicide Act 1961, after section 2A (acts capable of…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)I am very happy to share my CV afterwards. I practised as a barrister mainly in family law and Court of Protection law, but back in the day I also practised criminal law as a very…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)My answer to the hon. Lady’s first question is yes. In my view, clause 26 covers undue influence and encouragement—I could go on to state why. My reading of the Bill is that…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)I did not draft the legislation, but my understanding is that the reason why the word “dishonesty” appears in clause 26—I do not know whether the Minister wants to comment on…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)With respect, I think my hon. Friend is wrong: it is certainly not an exhaustive list of factors to be taken into account. The courts—this is why we have a common law…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)The issue I have is that if we open the door to all different types of terminology, it will never end. The law is best served when it is clear, simple and straightforward.12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)Let me just make this key point. Members have raised the case of Re T. I must admit that I do not know that case, but I believe it is a 1992 Court of Appeal case about a refusal…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)That sounds very sensible—I think my hon. Friend is talking about her amendment.12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)Yes. As I say, the amendments are perfectly reasonable; it is sensible to raise them and it is good that we are having this conversation. I have looked into this carefully and I…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Tenth sitting)On the first point, in fairness, the hon. Member for Reigate was talking about a clause that we are going to consider and the link between two different criminal offences in the…12 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Eleventh sitting)rose—12 Feb 2025