Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Baroness Hollins and Lord Falconer of Thoroton

Committee stage
Friday 5th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hollins (CB)]

If such a meeting were to take place, I would be delighted to ask the noble and learned Lord to consider the alternative wording I proposed when I spoke to the amendment.

[Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Lab)]

First, both noble Baronesses would be very welcome to attend this meeting, which is expanding all the time. Secondly, the language the noble Baroness, Lady Hollins, proposed was “reasonable adjustments”, which is in the first draft but not the second. The reason we have not used the wording “reasonable adjustments” is that it comes from the disability Act. We want to do that and then go wider, and our amendment therefore gives greater width.

[Baroness Hollins (CB)]

It is the Equality Act, not the disability Act. I suggested that the definition of “disability” in the Equality Act, with respect to something like this, would in fact include someone with a long-term condition or mental illness, as well as any other disabling condition that the noble and learned Lord may be referring to.

[Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is right that it is the Equality Act, not the disability Act; I apologise for that. If we were to restrict it to that, we would restrict it to a particular thing, and we think that it should be wider that. Again, we can talk about that at the ever-expanding meeting.

On Amendment 416, the noble Lord, Lord Ashcombe, was particularly exercised by the fact that the second doctor would not see the report of the first doctor; he would have some degree of problem with that. The noble Lord will know that, where a second doctor is brought in—where a referral is made to a new practitioner—the co-ordinating doctor must provide the new doctor with a copy of the previous report. If the new doctor is satisfied as to all the matters mentioned in Clause 11 on capacity et cetera, he or she then has to say why he or she disagrees with the previous doctor. The noble Lord’s legitimate sharpness in relation to that point was based, I think, on an improper understanding of Amendment 416, which will allow this to happen only once the new doctor sees the report of the previous doctor.

In the light of my exchange with the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, which was right for us to have, I will not move my amendment. Although the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, was kind enough to indicate that she will withdraw her amendment to my amendment, because the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, thinks his drafting is better, we will have to wait and see what happens on Report. Do not hold it against me when I come back with the same amendment on Report.

Data Protection Bill [HL]

Debate between Baroness Hollins and Lord Falconer of Thoroton

Ping Pong (Hansard): House of Lords
Monday 21st May 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hollins (CB)]

My Lords, I have been proud to support the completion of the Leveson public inquiry, not just for the benefit of past victims, including my family, but mainly to prevent future victimisation. I make it quite clear that although I am disappointed, I reluctantly accept the decision of the other place that it does not wish to proceed with and complete a public inquiry. However, some of the misrepresentations about my amendment that were made in the other place were quite disappointing, and some speakers remained in denial about the continuing bad behaviour of some elements of the national media. So, to my surprise, since last week’s vote I have been approached by some Members from the other place who voted with the Government, to ask me not to give up.

Some noble Lords believe that my amendments have secured real progress in holding the press to account through the new government amendments. I have a more guarded response. I am very interested in the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord McNally. It would prevent state interference in press regulation and appoint a truly independent reviewer, and would restore the place of the Press Recognition Panel—the PRP—without the Government directing it. I look forward to due consideration by the Minister of that suggestion.

What people want is an apology and a promise that it will not happen again. As a victim, a mother, a grandmother and a psychiatrist, I try to put people first. Instead, it seems that the focus is on money, with promises that the media will engage with IPSO’s low-cost arbitration scheme, which is just one of the 29 other equally important Leveson criteria for an effective regulator. In addition, it appears that the proposed review in four years’ time is being done in secret and with no clear criteria.

As always, I am willing to meet Ministers at the DCMS, IPSO and the ICO, and invite other victims to join me; and perhaps, one day, a victim-first approach will be embraced by them all. I say to the Government that despite their new provisions, they have let them get away with it again. However, now is not the time to press this further; rather, it is a time to watch and wait.

[Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Lab)]

My Lords, Amendment A3 in my name is an amendment to Motion A. I will speak to it now although it will be formally moved later.

I want to make two points, the first of which is to explain the purpose of my Amendment A3. Before I do so, however, I want to take up what the noble Lord, Lord, Cormack, said. He begged the noble Lord, Lord McNally, to withdraw his amendment, a point which the noble Lord, Lord Fairfax, made from a slightly different point of view. It is important to listen to what the noble Lord, Lord McNally, is saying—and I strongly support what he is saying. He accepts that in the context of this Bill, the question of Leveson 2 has effectively been decided. We have sent it back twice to the Commons and, first with a majority of nine and then with a majority of 12, the Commons said that it did not want Leveson 2.