This week, the Assisted Dying Bill comes to Parliament. I’ve had a lot of emails on this. Coming on Friday this week, it is in the form of a private member’s bill, where an MP can bring forward something of importance to them. Because this is a matter of conscience amongst MPs, it is not necessarily something the government would bring itself but has allowed government time to debate it. In the past, important social changes have come because of this type of mechanism – legalising abortion, and gay sex, are good examples. Even the Clean Air Act – the precursor of all our climate change legislation – was introduced by a former MP for Kidderminster, Gerald Nabarro, back in 1956.
The proposed Bill has a couple of important safeguards. Those seeking its provision must have less than 6 months to live and must be of sound mind. Two doctors and a judge need to sign it off and the individual concerned needs to be the person who actually administers the final act.
But even if this passes on Friday, that is simply the first stage of the process. If passed, the bill will go to committee stage, where its previsions are debated line by line. Following that is report stage, where it can be amended. Then it needs to pass third reading, the final stage in the House of Commons, before heading off for a similar process in the House of Lords. If anything is changed, it comes back to the Commons for more debate. It is only after everyone has collectively agreed on everything that it finally gets Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament.
I have written about this in the past. I will be supporting the bill on Friday. The death of my mother from pancreatic cancer, has convinced me of the necessity of this. Indeed, I have had many, many emails from people who have seen loved ones die slow and, sometimes, painful deaths. But I have spent far more time listening to those who oppose this. I have wanted to be certain that my experience and opinion is not flawed. Whilst I have listened very carefully to many, many people, including religious leaders and representatives of various groups concerned about this, I still find myself convinced that dignity in those final moments is something worth striving for.
On Friday, we shall see how many agree with me.