The Health Minister Stephen Kinnock MP has told the House of Lords that the Assisted Dying Bill ‘strikes the balance between access and safety’. He gave evidence to the Lords Select Committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill), alongside Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision welcome this clarity and call on the Lords to pass this vital legislation.
Speaking to the Committee, Kinnock and Whitty outlined that the Government has a neutral view on assisted dying. The policy and principle decisions are for Parliament, and the Government would make them work.
Kinnock told the Committee:
‘Ministers from the Prime Minister down have stated that if Parliament gives its assent to this Bill then the Government will implement it. So I think what that clearly indicates is that the Government, as a body corporate, will implement this Bill.’
When asked about equality of access to assisted dying if the Bill passed, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Care, told the Committee:
‘It is important that if this is passed, we don’t have a situation where the rules are so complex that only people who can afford a good lawyer… are able to get through the process. Most people who are dying of whatever cause have an average, literally an average, level of understanding, education in the law and all these other issues. It is important that it is clear enough and simple enough that they can understand what is going on and can get through the system in the last six months of their life at a point when they are going to be under stress for many other reasons.‘
And so I think this issue of equality is not just about a matter of importance; these issues of equality being brought up throughout the debate quite rightly, but one of the points of equality is people of all walks of life who are capable of taking the fundamental decision should be able to navigate the process subsequently, and I do think it is important that people think about that as they go through the debates that follow this committee.’
Responding to the same question, Kinnock said:
‘Our job is to facilitate the policy intent of the sponsor. The sponsor has made clear to us throughout that we are looking to strike a balance between fair and equitable access and safety. That’s constantly been the balancing act the Bill has had to go through and deliver and achieve. The view of the Government, in terms of workability, is that it strikes that balance between access and safety. Of course, if one were to amend the Bill in one direction or the other, then that may create questions about the workability of the Bill in the context of the sponsor’s policy intent.’
UK Government neutral
Last week, Sarah Sackman MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services, said that if Parliament passes the Bill in its current form, ‘the Government considers it deliverable’. Sackman also confirmed that it is workable, the new offences introduced are enforceable, and stated that it is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs at Humanists UK, said:
‘We welcome this further clarity that the Bill, in its current form, strikes the correct balance between safety and autonomy. We agree with the evidence given today that any assisted dying process must not be too complex and must always bear in mind the terminally ill person going through the process.
‘When it comes to assisted dying, the status quo is unworkable; it leads to unnecessary suffering, painful suicides, and people fleeing their own country to take control of their deaths. This is a stark contrast to the many jurisdictions that have legalised assisted dying and offer a safe, compassionate choice for the terminally ill.’
Dave Sowry, Board Member of My Death, My Decision, said:
‘People who are dying deserve choice, safety and compassion at the very end of their lives. The Terminally Ill Adults Bill is a major step towards giving these individuals that choice, and we welcome comments from the Government that the Bill is workable.
‘Today’s evidence should give confidence to politicians who support the principle of giving people greater control at the end of life, but may have had concerns about the implementation. With clear safeguards, professional oversight, and the protection of individual rights at its core, this Bill presents a compassionate and responsible way forward. We now urge members of the House of Lords to reflect on the strength of the evidence and move decisively to support this change.’
Notes
Members of the MDMD team, as well as individuals affected by the current law on assisted dying, are available for interview upon request
For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan.stilwell@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk or phone 07456200033. (media only)
Media can use the following press images and videos, as long as they are attributed to “My Death, My Decision”.
My Death, My Decision is a grassroots campaign group that wants the law in England and Wales to allow mentally competent adults who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering from an incurable condition the option of a legal, safe, and compassionate assisted death. With the support of over 3,000 members and supporters, we advocate for an evidence-based law that would balance individual choice alongside robust safeguards and finally give the people of England and Wales choice at the end of their lives.
