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| End-of-life bill decision 'wrong' | End-of-life bill decision 'wrong' |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| The Scottish government has branded as "wrong" a move to set up a special Holyrood committee to look at proposals to legalise assisted suicide. | The Scottish government has branded as "wrong" a move to set up a special Holyrood committee to look at proposals to legalise assisted suicide. |
| MSP Margo MacDonald's End-of-Life Assistance Bill would allow terminally ill people to seek help to die. | MSP Margo MacDonald's End-of-Life Assistance Bill would allow terminally ill people to seek help to die. |
| The bill had been expected to go before the health committee, but Holyrood's business bureau decided it should be considered by a separate committee. | The bill had been expected to go before the health committee, but Holyrood's business bureau decided it should be considered by a separate committee. |
| Ms MacDonald described the move as "a piece of nonsense". | Ms MacDonald described the move as "a piece of nonsense". |
| It is understood the bureau, comprising the main political parties, made its decision by voting 3-1 against the wishes of Parliament Minister Bruce Crawford. | |
| Ms MacDonald expressed concern the move was made to affect the membership of any ad-hoc committee established to look at the government's forthcoming independence referendum bill. | |
| We felt we could have referred it to the health committee, but it's not just a health issue Mike RumblesLib Dem chief whip | |
| A spokesman for Mr Crawford said it was "the wrong decision", adding: "It sets an unfortunate precedent. | A spokesman for Mr Crawford said it was "the wrong decision", adding: "It sets an unfortunate precedent. |
| "This bill deal with matters of conscience and should be dealt with by the normal subject committee," he said. | |
| Ms MacDonald, who has Parkinson's disease, told BBC Scotland the membership of the cross-party health committee had been chosen prior to her bill being introduced and included two doctors, who had each come down on either side of the argument. | Ms MacDonald, who has Parkinson's disease, told BBC Scotland the membership of the cross-party health committee had been chosen prior to her bill being introduced and included two doctors, who had each come down on either side of the argument. |
| She said: "When I asked why was it not going to the health committee, I was told it's got morality in it. | She said: "When I asked why was it not going to the health committee, I was told it's got morality in it. |
| "Every time time we cast a vote in here there should be morality in it - so that's a spurious reason." | "Every time time we cast a vote in here there should be morality in it - so that's a spurious reason." |
| The health committee has also expressed concern at the bureau's move. | |
| Liberal Democrat chief whip Mike Rumbles, who sits on the bureau, said: "This is the first occasion all MSPs in the Scottish Parliament will have a free vote and that's because all the parties recognise this is going to be an issue of ethics and morals, rather than anything else. | |
| "We felt we could have referred it to the health committee, but it's not just a health issue." |