Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – Post Vote Statement

Andrew George voted for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Commons today, and spoke, explaining early in the debate that this vote merely permitted the Bill to proceed to a stage of examination and scrutiny. 

Andrew said after the vote: 

“This is a good outcome. I believe the Bill strikes the right and responsible balance. There is no risk of a so-called “slippery-slope”, I don’t believe the risk of coercion is likely to be as significant or as difficult to detect as opponents fear, and the option to provide the best support to patients at the very end of their life will not undermine the advancement of palliative care. 

“MPs are regularly required to make very difficult decisions on matters where public opinion is often sharply divided. Today we were required to decide whether we support the introduction of a new law which would permit someone who is terminally ill – within 6 months of the end of their life – to choose how and when they die. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (commonly known as the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’) raises literally grave, complex and sensitive issues.

“Prior to today’s debate (known in Parliament as ‘Second Reading’), I’ve been holding and attending meetings with proponents, opponents, medical and legal experts, consulting and reading widely and studying the detail of what is a carefully constructed Bill. I am a member of the Commons Health Committee which has undertaken previous inquiries on this subject.
 
“I am supportive of legislation which would permit terminally ill people (who are competent to do so) to have the power to themselves decide when and how they die, at the very end-of-life, and in a manner which protects them from avoidable suffering and indignity. Of course, as well as having the freedom to make such a choice, our NHS must equally ensure people are offered, and have full access to, the best palliative treatment and end-of-life care.
 
“Today’s vote doesn’t bring the Bill into law. It just permits it to proceed to detailed scrutiny at Committee and Report stages. This could prove to be a prolonged process. As a member of the Commons Health Select Committee I will maintain a close watching brief on the bill. Once all stages are complete, there will be a final vote (on the Third Reading). I suspect Third Reading will be late spring next year. I want to ensure individual Health and Care workers are able to maintain their right to choose not to take part in assisted dying procedures if they felt it was at odds with their own personal ethical standpoint.

“I am grateful to the hundreds of people who have contacted or spoken to me on this matter. I will continue to consider the matter with care as the Bill proceeds to its next stages.”