I wanted to send you an update about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which will be debated in the House of Commons on Friday.

This has been a very respectful debate, and I am grateful to the way that you and others have approached it. This is a serious and complex matter, and I want you to know that I’ve been listening carefully and considering all points of view.

Private Members’ Bills, like this one, go through the same legislative stages as Government Bills and following the vote in November last year a group of MPs – known as a Bill Committee – have scrutinised the bill ‘clause by clause’ with more than 50 expert witnesses giving testimony.

In November, the principle of the Bill was agreed so the Bill Committee has focused on improving the bill rather than revisiting the principle of assisted dying.

Key amendments made by the Committee include:

• A Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission will be led by a Commissioner to be appointed by the Prime Minister, within 12 months.
• The Commissioner will, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officers for England and Wales and the EHRC, produce an annual report.
• Doctors are explicitly prevented from discussing assisted dying in isolation from other options for example palliative care, symptom management and psychological support.
• Applicant’s submissions to use the process will be considered by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts, a senior lawyer (which could be a High Court Judge), a consultant psychiatrist and a social worker. This replaces the single role of a High Court Judge in the original version of the bill.
• Independent advocates will be available for individuals who may require them for example people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions.
• As the bill also extends to Wales, where health is devolved, the new bill imposes a duty on the Secretary of State in England, and gives powers to ministers in Wales, to ensure that voluntary assisted dying services are provided.

The amended version of the Bill and the Government’s impact assessments can be accessed via the parliament.uk website here: bills.parliament.uk/bills/3774

On Friday MPs will debate the ‘report stage’ of the Bill. This offers an opportunity for MPs to oppose amendments made in Committee or to propose new amendments. As of Monday May 12, around 100 further amendments have been proposed.

As you might know, the House of Commons was due to consider the Bill at the end of April, but this was delayed. Unfortunately, I have long standing commitments in my diary this Friday so am unlikely to be in Parliament to hear the debate or vote.

I am also conscious that there is much to be debated in a short amount of time on Friday. While I know nothing for certain, I would not be surprised if Friday doesn’t conclude proceedings of the Bill’s Report Stage and that more time will be needed.

I voted in favour of the Second Reading in November to allow for further scrutiny in Committee. I am looking closely at the details of the amended Bill before deciding how I will vote at any future debates.

As ever, I am incredibly thankful to you and the hundreds of other residents who have been in touch with me to share their views on this sensitive topic. Ensuring that constituents are actively involved in this debate has always been, and continues to be, my priority.