Lords debates patients' right to die
A former Justice of the Supreme Court, the proposer of a Private Member's Bill on assisted dying and the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service will debate the case for patient choice at the end of their life, on Thursday 12 December.
The debate will be opened by Lord Dubs, former member of the Human Rights Joint Committee, who tabled it, and said:
"This debate comes at a critical time for the development of end-of-life care.
"The replacement of the Liverpool Care Pathway, the review of the Mental Capacity Act, the recent passage of the Care Bill through the Lords and Lord Falconer's upcoming Assisted Dying Bill all have implications on how patients wish to be treated at the end of life.
"Broadly speaking, the direction of travel for end-of-life care is positive. But there is still more to do. The public would overwhelmingly like greater choice over their care and treatment at the end of life, and I want this debate to discuss what this means in practice."
Other Members scheduled to speak include:
- Lord Blair of Boughton, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service;
- Baroness Flather, Director of Marie Stopes International;
- Baroness Murphy, Vice President of the Alzheimer's Society;
- Baroness O'Cathain, Chairman of Chichester Cathedral Council;
- Lord Taverne, Member of the former Committee on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill;
- Baroness Warnock, member of the former Medical Ethics Select Committee;
- Lord Beecham, Shadow Spokesperson for Justice and President of Age Concern Newcastle;
- Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood, former Justice of the Supreme Court;
- Baroness Hayman, Member of the General Medical Council;
- Lord Joffe, Member responsible for the Private Member's Bill, Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill;
- Lord McColl of Dulwich, President of St Christopher's Hospice;
- Lord Judd, former member of the Human Rights Joint Committee;
- Lord Holmes of Richmond, Member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission;
- Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Vice President of the Marie Curie Cancer Care and Director of Living and Dying Well Ltd;
- Lord Low of Dalston, President of Disability Alliance; and
- Baroness Meacher, former Mental Health Act Commissioner.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, Stamford, Baroness, Baroness Hollings, Lord Tombs, Lord Rowe-Beddoes, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, the Earl of Glasgow, Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Lord Purvis of Tweed, Baroness Masham of Alton, the Bishop of Sheffield, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Lord Hylton, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the Earl of Arran and the Bishop of Chester are also expected to take part.
Baroness Jolly will respond on behalf of the Government.