Contributions
739 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)The hon. Member mentioned earlier the idea that this is happening in isolation, but it is her Bill that is saying that it will just be two doctors, not a team of medical…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I have a few concerns about what we have just heard in relation to the amendment. One of them is in relation to Dr Cox’s evidence. What Dr Cox actually said was: “The second…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention.25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)One of my concerns is that although the Government position in relation to the Bill, as they have said, is neutrality, the Government, in my opinion, have taken a position without…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Without the impact assessment, how do we know what we are dealing with? That would be a normal way of progressing a Bill and dealing with…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I just have some concluding remarks. None of the amendments was voted for. I feel that in the clause 1 stand part debate, huge opportunities have been missed. I have talked a lot,…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I rise to speak to amendments 10, 181 and 283. I will start with amendment 10, which is very significant: it would make a small but crucial change to clause 2.25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)Sorry, I mean amendment 11. Thank you, Mr Efford. I think it will be helpful to spell out what the Bill currently says, and what it would say if amendment 11 were adopted. I will…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that there need to be specialists—we will come to that debate later. Let me bring our debate back to the amendment we are discussing. I…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I wonder whether my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley has considered whether she would tighten the clause. Have any options been explored, and what have the Government said…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)If we take that number, then that 30% or 40% who do not take that decision is maybe a few hundred people. However, the truth from Professor Sleeman’s evidence is that we are…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)First, this is not an issue for a tribunal, where it would be on the balance of probabilities; it is not an issue for a court of law or a criminal court, where we would be using…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Actually, it was the other way around and I am happy to provide a reference to the right hon. Gentleman. Nine cases found lack of capacity, but still not in the best interest. One…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Before we adjourned, I was talking about the two obvious problems with amendment 181. The first is that it would remove references to the Equality Act 2010 and the Mental Health…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I am happy to correct the record.25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I accept that the majority of those 60 cases are in such jurisdictions, but to me it does not matter whether it is the majority or one—one death is too many, as I am sure my hon.…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I completely agree with the hon. Member. Coming back to the physicians who justified eligibility by citing the physical complications of anorexia, not just the mental disorder…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Thank you, Mr Dowd. I have it in evidence and I am happy to provide the reference.25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)My hon. Friend is making her points very clearly. The last words of amendment 181 are: “Nothing in this subsection results in a person not being regarded as terminally ill for the…25 Feb 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Thirteenth sitting)Absolutely not. That is not the point that I am making. Eating disorders are reversible, but it has been found that where this kind of legislation has been enacted, across the…25 Feb 2025