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MPs debate a ban on assisted dying adverts MPs bar health workers from raising assisted dying with children
(about 4 hours later)
MPs are debating further changes to the assisted dying bill including a ban on organisations advertising that they offer the service. MPs have voted to prevent health professionals such as doctors from initiating conversations with under-18s about assisted dying, as they continued scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.
Other amendments being discussed cover regulations about which substances or devices may be used to facilitate a person's death and the role of coroners in the process. The bill would only allow those over the age of 18, and with less than six months to live, to receive medical assistance to die in England and Wales.
The bill would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to receive medical assistance to die in England and Wales. Labour MP Meg Hillier, who tabled the amendment to the bill, had previously warned MPs to be alert to "the very real risk" of an assisted dying law being expanded to cover children and young people.
It was initially approved by MPs in November by a majority of 55 votes and has since been undergoing further scrutiny. Her amendment was opposed by the bill's proposer Kim Leadbeater, but approved in the House of Commons by 259 votes to 216.
Since then at least a dozen MPs who backed it or abstained on the bill have said they are now likely to vote against it. In a statement, a group of Labour MPs concerned about assisted dying said the result represented a "vote of no confidence in the bill and has shattered the claim that bill was the safest in the world".
A backer of the bill, Conservative Neil Shastri-Hurst, had previously argued against the proposal, warning it would leave a terminally ill young person "isolated, navigating a complex and deeply personal journey through the filter of online forums, rather than in dialogue with trusted, qualified professionals".
Hillier's other amendment seeking to stop health professionals from raising assisted dying with any patient was defeated by 256 votes to 230 - a majority of 26.
Other changes made to the bill include a ban on advertising assisted dying services and a measure to ensure assisted deaths carried out under the bill would not be deemed unnatural and therefore not be automatically referred to a coroner.
The legislation was initially approved by MPs in November by a majority of 55 votes and has been undergoing further scrutiny.
At least a dozen MPs who backed it or abstained on the bill have said they are now likely to vote against it.
Supporters remain confident it will eventually clear the parliamentary hurdles and become law.Supporters remain confident it will eventually clear the parliamentary hurdles and become law.
If the bill is approved at all stages in the House of Commons, it will then go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. Friday's debate saw MPs largely focused on how the bill would work, rather than discussing the general principle of assisted dying.
The last time the bill was voted on, MP approved changes to ensure that no one would be forced to help with the process of assisted dying against their wishes. There was general consensus that assisted dying advertising should be prohibited, although some MPs called for restrictions to be tightened.
Following concerns about an "anorexia loophole", the House of Commons also accepted an amendment which stated that a person should not be eligible for an assisted death "solely as a result of voluntarily stopping eating or drinking". The amendment, tabled by Leadbeater, puts a duty on ministers to block advertising, while allowing them to make exemptions.
At the start of the debate, MPs agreed to an amendment on replacing doctors unwilling to assist in the process and another amendment which said there has to be a report from a doctor where there is concern about a proposed assisted death. Her fellow Labour MP Paul Waugh called for that power to be removed telling MPs "one person's advert is another person's public information campaign.
There was general consensus that assisted dying advertising should be prohibited, however there was disagreement about how strict the ban should be. "It's not impossible to imagine a secretary of state in future who passionately believes in the merits of assisted dying to authorise such a campaign."
The amendment, tabled by the bill's proposer Kim Leadbeater, gives ministers powers to make exceptions to the ban in the future, but fellow Labour MP Paul Waugh called for that power to be removed.
He told MPs: "One person's advert is another person's public information campaign. It's not impossible to imagine a secretary of state in future who passionately believes in the merits of assisted dying to authorise such a campaign."
Labour MP Tony Vaughan argued that Waugh's proposal would remove "essential flexibility" allowing ministers to respond to future developments.Labour MP Tony Vaughan argued that Waugh's proposal would remove "essential flexibility" allowing ministers to respond to future developments.
Conservative Rebecca Smith put forward an amendment which would ensure assisted deaths would still be investigated by a coroner. Waugh's proposed amendment was defeated by by a majority of 21, while Leadbeater's was added to the bill.
Leadbeater's amendment ensuring assisted deaths would not automatically be investigated by a coroner also got backing form MPs.
Conservative Rebecca Smith had put forward an opposing amendment which would ensure assisted deaths would still be investigated by a coroner.
Without that measure, she said it would be "exceptionally difficult to say whether there have been errors or instances of abuse".Without that measure, she said it would be "exceptionally difficult to say whether there have been errors or instances of abuse".
Disagreeing, Green MP Ellie Chowns said an assisted death under the provisions of the bill "would be the most scrutinised type of death in the country".Disagreeing, Green MP Ellie Chowns said an assisted death under the provisions of the bill "would be the most scrutinised type of death in the country".
"It makes no sense to require another legal process at the end of that when there have already been multiple layers of scrutiny," she added."It makes no sense to require another legal process at the end of that when there have already been multiple layers of scrutiny," she added.
If MPs have not finished discussing and voting on the amendments by 2:30 BST, another day of debate will be scheduled, probably on 20 June. At the start of the debate, MPs agreed to a previously-debated amendment on the process for replacing doctors unwilling to participate in assisted dying and another amendment which said there has to be a report from a doctor where there is concern about a proposed assisted death.
As with other stages of the process, protesters from both sides of the argument are expected to gather outside Parliament. Conservative frontbencher Kieran Mullan complained that the debate - "a deeply consequential and highly contentious piece of legislation" - was not getting enough time in Parliament.
Disability campaigner George Fielding, from the Not Dead Yet UK campaign group, said the bill "risks state-sanctioned suicide". Health minister Stephen Kinnock replied that there had been more than 90 hours of parliamentary debate and more than 500 amendments had been considered.
"It risks making people feel like a burden while ignoring the social, economic and systemic pressures that deny people the treatment and dignity they need to live. Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine accused some MPs of "deliberately" trying to delay the voting process.
In a letter to MPs this week, Labour's Kim Leadbeater, said she was "confident" the legislation could be "the best and safest bill possible". "It really looks petty and childish and could they please abstained from doing it the next time."
The bill will next be debated on 20 June, when it will either fall or go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.