Found: Palliative and end of life care has risen in public attention as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is a matter for Parliament.

Found: Parliament’s consideration of the draft Order. 1 The Bill is distinct from the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: on providing assisted dying services, as there is currently no protection in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill

Found: We also have the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill coming down the pipe, which has an auto-commencement

Found: principle be overcome, but only in excepJonal cases – as demonstrated by the recent Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: and that those that do progress may be difficult to scrutinise fully, such as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: coincided with the time when I was absent from this Committee because I was on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: different stages of the debate.137 The PBO produced a similar document for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: different stages of the debate.137 The PBO produced a similar document for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: PEoLC) landscape has come into sharp focus in the context of the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: committee until after the completion of work on the temporary select committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and its impact assessment, what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of judicial approval as a safeguard in countries with assisted suicide regimes, including the proportion of applications refused in those countries and the reasons for refusal.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The purpose of the impact assessment was to appraise the assisted dying service as described in the bill at the end of committee stage. Judicial approval is not one of the steps an applicant must follow to access the assisted dying service. Therefore, no assessment was made regarding the effectiveness of judicial approval as a safeguard.

The Government remains neutral on the policy choices in the bill, and it is rightly a matter for Parliament to decide if the safeguards in the bill are sufficient.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government which Minister acted as the qualified person in regard to FOI request 251030055, which asked for the briefing pack used by Paul Candler, Policy Director at the Ministry of Justice when he appeared before the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee on 29 October 2025 to be shared.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

I can confirm that I acted as the qualified person for this Freedom of Information Act request.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 5 December (HL Deb col 2044), what distinction exists under Articles 2, 8 or 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights which means that a legal challenge would not arise for a person under 18 years old compared to those who are (1) under 21 years old, and (2) under 25 years old.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

At the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill committee debate on 5 December 2025, the comments referred to were made in relation to the amendments that had been tabled for consideration in the Lords. There would need to be a reasonable, necessary and proportionate justification to underpin restricting access to assisted dying to any age on the face of the Bill. Although the reasons to support an age limit of 18 years old, as opposed to an age limit of 21 or 25 years old, may well be different. This matter was debated at some length on 5 December 2025, and as I stated in that debate, it is rightly for Parliament to decide on any age-related restrictions and to consider the proportionality of the reasons which underpin them. As the Government is neutral, it is not for the Government to comment on the likelihood of a court upholding any particular case brought to challenge the age on the face of the Bill but it was important to note the general risk to aid the debate in the Chamber.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the purposes of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, and having regard to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Mental Capacity Act 2005, what assessment they have made of the risks associated with permitting assistance for someone to end their own life where the person has not previously undergone any deprivation of liberty or comprehensive safeguarding assessment.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is currently under consideration in Parliament, and it is rightly a matter for Parliament to decide if the safeguards in the bill are sufficient. The Government remains neutral on the bill.

Given that the bill is still under consideration, the Government has made no assessment of the risks associated with permitting assistance for someone to end their own life where the person has not previously undergone any deprivation of liberty or comprehensive safeguarding assessment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, what discussions they have had with devolved administrations about data sharing and reporting arrangements should the Bill receive Royal Assent, and whether they plan to publish any memoranda of understanding.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The Government’s discussions about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill with devolved administrations have focused on the workability of the bill. This has included how the reporting and data sharing requirements on the face of the bill would apply, particularly in relation to Wales. These are technical discussions that are being held at an official level and have not covered what any arrangement would look like should the bill receive Royal Assent. As the Government is neutral on the bill, no decisions have been taken on the need for memoranda of understanding.

Should the bill gain Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken, which would include more detailed work on data sharing and reporting arrangements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, whether they plan to ringfence additional GP capacity for the assessments to be made by a coordinating and an independent doctor if the Bill were to receive Royal Assent.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Should the bill gain Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. This work would include developing workforce regulations and guidance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on suicide prevention strategies, including by reviewing the effect on suicide rates in countries where similar laws have been introduced.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering the cross-sector Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, which identifies priority areas for action to reduce suicides, and we will explore opportunities to go further.

The Government is neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Should Parliament choose to pass this bill it will not affect the Government’s commitment to the suicide prevention strategy.

Question

To ask The Leader of the House to list the private member's bills that started in the Commons in this session and that are now being considered in the Lords, indicating the parliamentary stage they have reached so far.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The following private member’s bills that started in the Commons are now being considered in the Lords:

• Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - Committee stage

• Licensing Hours Extensions Bill - Committee stage

• Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill - Committee stage

• Rare Cancers Bill - Second Reading

• Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill - Committee stage

The list of private member’s bills being considered in the Lords and their stage is available and kept updated in the House of Lords Business Paper document and on the Parliament website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, and following the published impact assessment and equality impact assessment, what estimate they have made of the proportion of people who would be eligible for assistance to end their own life who have a history of depression, self-harm or other mental health conditions.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The published Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment provides illustrative figures for aspects of the service where sufficient information and evidence is available and where the level of detail contained in the bill permits.

The Government does not have an estimate of the proportion of people who would be eligible for assistance to end their own life who have a history of mental health conditions.

Further considerations for information regarding Cohort Estimates and Impacts on individuals and specific groups of individuals can be found in section 7 and section 8 of the bill’s impact assessment, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the purposes of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current adult safeguarding and mental capacity training among GPs, hospital consultants and community nurses.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The Government has not made an assessment of the current adult safeguarding and mental capacity training among general practitioners, hospital consultations, and/or community nurses in the context of that bill.

The Government’s consideration of the provision and training of a voluntary assisted dying service can be found in section 10 of the bill’s impact assessment, a copy of which is attached.

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the cost to the public purse to date of the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill through the House of Lords.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

It is not possible to calculate the full cost of the passage of a Bill through the House of Lords as not all factors can be appropriately separated and costed. This includes staffing time which cannot be disaggregated to just the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Costs relating to the corresponding Ministerial Department of the Bill are also not included.

The two tables below provide the details of the allowances claimed by Members of the House of Lords for the Second Reading of the Bill, taken over two days on Friday 12 and Friday 19 September 2025, and the participation of Members appointed to the Select Committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The costs come to £293,067 in total.

Data extending beyond 1 November 2025 is not currently available as claims must be received by the Finance Department within one month from the end of the calendar month in which the entitlement to claim arose.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for creating a statutory requirement that all patients who consider assisted dying have timely access to palliative and hospice care through the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is, first and foremost, a matter for Parliament. This is a Private Member’s Bill, and we cannot pre‑suppose the outcome of the legislative process.

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement HLWS1086, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in his Department, beyond the Bill team, are working on the a) passage and b) preparation for the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Bill officials are currently working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, including providing technical workability advice on the bill. No officials are working on the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Act).

We are unable to quantify how many civil servants in the Department outside the bill team have provided input to the bill process. Officials in the bill team have sought input from the teams with relevant expertise on specific issues on an ad-hoc basis. None of these civil servants are working full-time on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals to assess willingness to partake in assisted suicide.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation. As such, the Government does not currently have a plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals as per the question.

As currently drafted, clause 31 of the Bill “No obligation to provide assistance etc” subsection (1) describes that “No person is under any duty to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act.”

Should the Bill gain Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. As part of this work, the Government would work closely with relevant stakeholders, including medical professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the ability of doctors to detect coercion accurately should the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill become law.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation.

Should the Bill gains Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. This work would include developing guidance for medical practitioners on all aspects of the Bill, including detecting coercion if necessary.

Further considerations for information regarding Provision and Training of a Voluntary Assisted Dying service can be found in section 10 of the Bill’s impact assessment. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any civil servants are working on the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill beyond the work necessary to improve the workability of the legislative drafting.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The function of the team working within the Department is to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, with regard to the legal and technical coherence of the bill.

Matters of policy have remained solely for the sponsoring members, the Hon. Member Kim Leadbeater in the Commons and the Rt Hon. Lord Falconer of Thoroton in the Lords, to determine.

None of this work to date has been done with the objective of implementing assisting dying. Should the bill gain Royal Assent, this work would form the basis of an implementation programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they are developing to ensure that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill does not inadvertently encourage assisted dying as a cost-saving measure in the healthcare system.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament has been brought forward as a Private Members’ Bill. It is not a piece of Government legislation, and the Government has taken a neutral position on assisted dying and the passage of the bill.

Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate care through to the end of their life, and this will remain a priority for the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 29 September (HL10483), what is the total cost to date of employing officials working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally or in the format requested.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 10 April (HL6224), whether they have now started preparing a shadow body of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has not started preparing a shadow body of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner. The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which is still under consideration by Parliament.

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty-ninth sitting). Hansard. 68.

Found: Letter to the Government on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Beat Eating disorders 25 February

We want the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament. We believe this is important to uphold democracy.

Found: With over 1,000 amendments tabled to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, most by just a handful

Found: Letter dated 24/03/2026 from Baroness Merron to Baroness O'Loan regarding the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 02/2026 from Baroness Merron to Lord Moylan regarding questions raised during the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Howe, Thank you for your contribution to the ninth day of Committee Stage for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 2026 from Baroness Merron to Baroness Coffey regarding questions raised during the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2026: the government’s role on amendments to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Gove and Lord Harper regarding questions raised during the Terminally Ill Adults (end of Life ) Bill

Found: Letter dated 02/02/2026 from Baroness Levitt to Baroness Berridge regarding the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: regarding whether the Government will be updating the Equality Impact Assessment for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: the Bill and other law, as discussed during the Committee Stage (sixth day) of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 01/2026 from Baroness Merron to Lord Kamall regarding questions raised during the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: from Baroness Merron to Baroness Smith of Llanfaes regarding points raised in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 11/2025 from Baroness Merron to Baroness Coffey regarding points made during the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: motions considered during Q4 2025 Bill title Date motion considered Consent decision Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: recommended Employment Rights Bill (supplementary) 14 August 2025 Consent recommended Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No.3) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Committee’s report on the Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memoranda on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill

Found: consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.3) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 12 January 2026 Annwyl Lywydd Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 3) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.3) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 3) TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL

Found: Report on Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 3) for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 4) TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL

Found: consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.4) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No.3) on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill