The Labour MP behind the assisted dying Bill has vowed to “hold the Government’s feet to the fire” to ensure it is introduced “as quickly as is practicable and safe”, if her Bill passes into law. Kim Leadbeater defended her decision to table an amendment that will extend the maximum time allowed for a service to be implemented from two years to four, meaning it could theoretically be delayed until 2029.
The move came under fire from both opponents, who said the time needed showed the law was too complex to be safely introduced, and supporters, who wanted it done sooner. However, Ms Leadbeater stressed that four years was only a “backstop” and the service could be available earlier.
Speaking during the debate, the Spen Valley MP said: “It should not be seen as the desired outcome but as a form of prevention. This is not a process that should be rushed.
“If this Bill passes and receives Royal Assent we will hold the Government’s feet to the fire to ensure that its provisions are put in place as quickly as is practicable and safe to do so.”
The Committee Stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill concluded in the early hours on Wednesday, after 29 sessions.
MPs who both support and oppose the legislation considered almost 600 amendments and took evidence from witnesses including doctors, lawyers and those with heartbreaking personal experiences.
Thanking her colleagues for their “compassionate” approach, Ms Leadbeater said: “The Bill has had an unprecedented amount of scrutiny, including hearing oral evidence from expert witnesses and considering hundreds of amendments.
“As a result, MPs will now be able to consider a Bill that is even safer, fairer, and more workable and which provides choice to eligible adults who want and need it at the end of their lives.”
The campaign to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults who have less than six months to live is backed by the Express Give Us Our Last Rights crusade.
Key changes made by the Committee include swapping the requirement for assisted dying cases to be reviewed by the High Court for a multi-disciplinary panel that will include lawyers, social workers and psychiatrists, overseen by a Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission.
Other amendments will require mandatory training for doctors in detecting coercion, specialist advocates to support people with learning disabilities or autism, and a guarantee that anybody considering an assisted death will be made fully aware of all end-of-life care options.
Ms Leadbeater added: “We are not removing judges from this process. Rather, we are adding the expertise and experience of psychiatrists and social workers to provide extra protections in the areas of assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion while retaining judicial oversight.
“We’ve made what was already the strongest assisted dying legislation anywhere in the world even safer and more robust.”
Campaigners including terminally ill mum Sophie Blake met with MPs on the final day of the committee. Ms Blake, who has secondary breast cancer, said: “This Committee process has shown what it means to put dying people at the heart of law-making.
“For once, we are not just being spoken about, but truly considered. I’m grateful to Kim and the Committee for putting the suffering of terminally ill people and our families at the centre of this debate.”