Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and its progress in the House of Lords.
I want to acknowledge that this is an issue rooted in profoundly personal and often painful experiences. Many people who support or oppose the Bill do so because they wish to reduce suffering for those facing terminal illness, and I fully appreciate how deeply these concerns are felt. You can read about my views on the bill here.
Whatever one’s view on the principle, it is clear that the Bill represents a significant and far‑reaching change. It proposes the creation of a state‑sanctioned process, using state resources, through which the state may end the lives of its citizens. This is an extraordinary and fundamental shift in the relationship between the individual and the state. As such, it is essential that any proposal of this magnitude is subject to thorough, careful and transparent scrutiny before it is implemented.
As you say, MPs in the House of Commons voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading by a majority of 23 votes. The Government did not support the Bill, which meant it progressed through the Commons without the normal level of detailed assessment. There was no Government consultation, no civil service analysis, and no clear plan for how the proposals would be delivered in practice. Given the scale of resources, systems, and safeguards required for a change of this kind, it is extremely unusual for legislation of this significance to move through the Commons without that work. Indeed, the Health Secretary voted against the Bill, citing concerns about resourcing and practical implementation.
The Bill has therefore arrived in the House of Lords with several questions unresolved, particularly around safeguards, oversight, and the operational framework that would be required to ensure that any system is safe, workable and properly monitored.
The House of Lords, as a revising chamber made up of individuals with wide‑ranging professional experience, has a vital role in examining legislation in detail. The Bill is currently at Committee Stage, where each clause in a Bill is scrutinised line by line. It is not unusual for this stage to take time, especially with legislation that is complex in nature.
I will continue to follow the debates and the detailed scrutiny of the Bill as it progresses through the Lords.
Thank you again for writing to me and for sharing your views on this important matter.
Yours sincerely,
