07/11/2025
Received from Tia Bush.
Hello Everyone!
I’m writing to you with the news that the Select Committee in the House of Lords finished yesterday, so the assisted dying Bill will be moving into the Committee of the Whole House (where line by line scrutiny takes place and amendments are discussed and voted on), which begins next Friday. Four Fridays are scheduled for scrutiny this side of Winter recess, and we expect a couple more to take place in the New Year. I will put a full update on what happened in Select Committee at the bottom of this email, for those of you who would like more detail.
29th November – Second Reading anniversary actions
On Monday, my colleague Issy and I held a webinar with information about the anniversary actions on 29th November. Thank you to those of you who attended, especially Trish and Pauline for answering some questions from supporters and telling people about the actions you are planning. You can watch the first part back here (pre-questions) – it’s only 15 minutes long, and should provide all the information you need about the day. Do let me know if you or your members have further questions.
We already have over 30 confirmed actions, which is wonderful. Thank you to all those of you holding events in your area (or helping your members do so where you aren’t available). You have until Monday 10th November to confirm any that you or your members will be holding, so please do so here: https://action.dignityindying.org.uk/page/180922/data/1?ea.url.id=8680615
Once all the events have been set, so early/mid next week, I will email all of you with any actions that are taking place within your local area and the organisers’ contact details. You may already be aware of them, but if not, I hope you can reach out to the individuals and provide support in terms of publicising their event among your existing group members, encouraging them to go along, even if they are not within their own constituencies. The priority will be to have a small group of supporters turn out on the day to show solidarity, even if not all are constituents. You might also have ideas on where best to host the action or be able to provide advice based on past events you have held.
Our members and supporters appear to be enthusiastic and motivated for this day of local actions, and I am very excited for it. Thank you all for the work you are putting in to making it a success. Whether this is holding your own event, or publicising existing ones among your members and supporting them in organising the actions, your part in this day is absolutely crucial. We mustn’t underestimate what an impact these local actions will have on a national scale.
Scotland
In Holyrood last Thursday, Liam McArthur’s Bill faced the same money resolution as Kim’s Bill did in Westminster in January. As in Westminster, it’s usual for an agreement to authorise spending in pursuit of the Bills aims to be tabled at this stage, and usually the motion goes through without division (vote), but unlike in Westminster, opponents in Scotland did force a vote. However, the vote played out decisively in our favour, and we won with 70 votes in favour, 31 against and 11 abstentions.
Select Committee updates
The rest of this email will be some highlights from the last three weeks and is an optional read. I do hope you find the points interesting and useful to rebut opponent arguments.
Yesterday we reached the last of the three-week Select Committee on the assisted dying Bill. Despite the Committee and the choice of witnesses being weighted in opponents’ favour, there have been significant positive outcomes.
On day one (Wednesday 22 October):
Peers heard from Lord Falconer, Kim Leadbeater MP, and representatives of the Royal Colleges of Nursing (RCN), General Practitioners (RCGP) and Physicians (RCP). While they haven’t been called to give evidence, overseas experts’ experience has been cited by parliamentary witnesses and reaffirms that safeguards and compassion can coexist. Several Select Committee members echoed calls to hear from overseas clinicians with direct experience of assisted dying provision, and the RCN was among witnesses and Committee members rightly calling for autonomy to remain central to the crafting of the Bill.
On day two (Thursday 23 October)
Peers heard from representatives from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Association of Social Workers, the Royal College of Pathologists, NHS England, and the former Chief Coroner of England and Wales. Dr Annabel Price from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which is officially neutral on the principle of law change though has taken an opposed stance on the Bill itself, confirmed that around half of the psychiatrists they represent would support introducing assisted dying for terminally ill people. Several eminent psychiatrists have criticised the College’s position on the Bill on the grounds that it was taken without surveying its membership.
Dr Luke Geoghegan of the British Association of Social Workers, whom Select Committee member Lord Robert Winston highlighted is also a vicar, told the Committee that safeguarding must recognise coercion can operate in both directions – including families pressuring loved ones out of their wish for an assisted death.
On day three (Wednesday 29 October)
The Committee heard from end-of-life care experts from the hospice sector and palliative care as well as organisations representing older people, and from representatives from the Ministry of Justice.
Toby Porter, CEO at Hospice UK, said a £100m hospice funding announcement by the Government last year likely would not have happened without the Bill, noting that the assisted dying debate has created more conversation about end of life care than at any point in his long career. He referred to assisted dying bring “the last insurance policy” in countries where it is legal.
Dr Suzanne Kite, President at the Association for Palliative Medicine, which opposes law change in principle, agreed that in countries like Australia, simply knowing the option is available brings comfort to terminally ill people, even if they may not choose it. She confirmed that it is already “part of daily clinical practice” for healthcare professionals to identify and manage potential cases of pressure and coercion at the end of life, including cases of internalised pressure. While noting that such cases are rare, she said: “We always know, I can always say with confidence, we’ll pick up something”.
Professor Sam Ahmedzai, Emeritus Professor of Supportive and Palliative Medicine at The University of Sheffield, who is a supporter of assisted dying, said that dying people would like the option of palliative care and assisted dying. He said that other jurisdictions around the world have already established how assisted dying can work comfortably side-by-side with other end-of-life services.
Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services at Ministry of Justice, reassured the Committee at a number of points that “If Parliament decides to pass this Bill, then Government will deliver it”, highlighting the substantial work that has been done by her department and other Government departments to ensure the Bill is deliverable while remaining neutral on the issue itself. She added that the Ministry of Justice has worked closely Kim Leadbeater MP to ensure all legal aspects of the Bill - including the new offence created for coercion - are workable and compliant with the law.
Ms Sackman highlighted that the Bill includes a range of upfront protections at various points of the assisted dying process, including the provision of focused training on coercion and domestic abuse. She noted that the Bill will introduce new regulation into end-of-life care that does not currently exist and reiterated that the Bill has initiated a national conversation about death and dying, which she believes is healthy for society.
On day four (Thursday 31 October)
The Committee heard from experts on mental health, disability, and domestic abuse. There was widespread acknowledgement that there are no upfront safeguards in the status quo. Several witnesses expressed support for a safeguard within the Bill that will ensure that people with anorexia are not eligible for an assisted death if that is the only reason.
Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of MIND, told the Committee that MIND is prepared to support work alongside the Government during the consultation period to ensure the Bill is as safe and workable as possible, and agreed that it is important for Peers to gain “richness and security of understanding” by hearing testimony from people with terminal illness as the Bill continues to progress through the House of Lords.
Professor Tom Shakespeare CBE FBA, Professor of Disability Research, expressed strong support for the Bill, saying that the Bill is “more compassionate and safer than the current situation”. He noted evidence showing that the majority of people with disabilities in the UK support assisted dying. He cautioned Peers against being paternalistic in their views on disabled people and said he believes the Bill “strikes the right balance” between autonomy and protection. Alasdair Henderson (Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission) joined Professor Shakespeare in agreeing that, when the law changes, banning dying people with disabilities from accessing assisted dying services if they choose to would be discriminatory.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a Crossbench Peer and longstanding opponent of assisted dying, described Parliament's acceptance of amendments by Marie Tidball MP to create a Disability Advisory Board to advise on the implementation and impact of the Act’s operation on disabled people as “a step forward”.
On day 5 (Wednesday 5 November)
o Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, confirmed that the Bill’s passage has acted as a “catalyst for the work we’re doing in palliative and end-of-life care”, and announced that the Government will shortly publish a plan to strengthen services across the country. He also reaffirmed that assisted dying, if legalised, will be offered free at the point of use through the NHS, and that the Department is committed to delivering the will of Parliament. He told the Committee: “I think the passage of this Bill through Parliament has served as a catalyst for the work that we’re doing in palliative and end-of-life care, and has helped to push it up the political agenda.”
o Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, cautioned against unnecessary bureaucracy, saying: “I think that it is always tempting to try and deal with problems by layering layer upon layer of complex bureaucracy on top of one another. And I would hope that if this is passed, Parliament will resist that temptation. The best regulations are ones that are simple and are clear.”
o Sir Max Hill KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, described the current law as “unsatisfactory”, adding: “Compassion has no place in the current law... There must be a change. This Bill represents it.”
o Sir Nicholas Mostyn KC, former High Court Judge, agreed: “A vote against this Bill is a vote in favour of the existing law - and you could hardly make up a law as malign as the existing law.”
As of now, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has currently undergone 130 hours of scrutiny across both Houses.
If you made it to the end, well done! I hope you found it interesting, and I will of course keep you updated as the Bill moves into its Committee of the Whole House, which begins next Friday 14th November. You will be able to watch it live if you wish on the Parliament TV website. So far over 600 amendments have been submitted, but like in the Commons, these will be sorted into groups to be debated and not all will be selected. We should find out more a day or two before Committee begins and will then have a clearer idea of what topics will be covered.
Best wishes,
Tia
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