Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Baroness Andrews and Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

Committee stage
Friday 27th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB)]

Noble Lords are repeatedly intervening on the different points.

As for the numbers, the estimates, based on the evidence from other countries, suggest that the estimates in the impact assessment are very low, and that the demand for assisted suicide would be much higher, so it would come into the purview of a large number of clinicians; hence the need for specialisation.

[Baroness Andrews (Lab)]

My Lords, with some diffidence, I first put on the record that the Bill is abundantly clear that it is an opt-in system. Clause 31, “No obligation to provide assistance etc”, says:

“No person is under any duty to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act … No registered medical practitioner is under any duty to become … the coordinating doctor … or … the independent doctor”—


I will not read out the whole clause. I do not understand why it has been described by noble Lords in the way that the noble Baroness described, about not being able to opt out.

On the point of the register, we have heard over 13 days how important it is to listen to and consult medical practitioners at every stage of the Bill. The proposition in Amendment 189 is that the register should be put in the Bill. It is a privilege to listen to the expertise of our noble friend—as I call her—the noble Baroness, Lady Gerada, who has expressed some very profound and intimate reservations. But surely there will be provision in due course for the discussion of how to register people who are willing to opt in, and to do that with a full consultation of all the medical professions so that the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Carlile, can be addressed. Surely, as with so much of the debate we are having, this is a matter of implementation. Let us get to the point where we can make a decision in principle, but let us make sure that in implementing it we have it right. That must be done, I think, with the full consultation of all the medical professionals.