Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Alison McGovern Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 11th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Social Care (Alison McGovern)]

Not for the first time this week, I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds). He and I agree that we will all act according to our conscience and respect others if they come to a different conclusion.

I thank Members on both sides of the debate across the House for their consideration of this legislation and their thoughtful contributions to the debate. By my count, 40 Members have spoken in the debate; I have listened to all that they have said with great interest, and I thank each and every one of them. It has been a difficult debate to speak in at times. We have heard of people’s own family and private experiences, and that is hard to bring to this House. I really thank all colleagues across every corner of this House for doing so.

The issue of assisted dying has been subject to extensive and detailed consideration over a number of years, most recently in this House and the other place in the previous Session, as well as outside Parliament. We think today of all those who feel strongly on both sides of this debate and what they are thinking about as they listen to our discussions. We send our care to all those who are struggling with grief.

Let me reiterate that the Government are neutral on the question of assisted dying and on the passage of the Bill. As the Prime Minister has said, this is an incredibly important and personal debate, and it is right that it is a matter for Parliament, not Government, to decide whether the Bill should become law. However, the Government have a duty to the statute book. It is on that basis that I am speaking at the Dispatch Box today as the Minister responsible for helping to ensure that the Bill, if passed, is workable and effective.

I must explain to Members that in the interests of time, I am going to keep my remarks purposefully brief, and I will not be taking any interventions; I apologise to Members wholeheartedly for that, as I would normally take interventions. I am happy to discuss with Members any issues that they have.

I have listened to the entire debate today and heard Members’ views, questions and many interventions, and I want to turn briefly to a couple of important issues. On procedure, like any private Member’s Bill, this Bill will proceed through the usual parliamentary stages, subject to Parliament’s will. With respect to questions to the Government on the Parliament Acts, I refer Members to the Acts themselves, which set out conditions under which legislation may pass without requiring the consent of the House of Lords. That is a matter for Parliament, and it is not for the Government to decide whether to pass this Bill. As is usual with any constitutional questions, Members may approach the Clerks for further advice, as I am sure you would agree, Madam Deputy Speaker.

[Simon Hoare]

Will the Minister give way?

[Alison McGovern]

I have said that I am not going to take any interventions. I am sorry to be discourteous to the hon. Member, but I am going to stick to that.

I want to make a few comments on the matter of social care and palliative care, having recently taken over responsibility for these most important issues. In my opinion, social care has been ignored for far too long—both the 1.5 million people, mainly women, who work in it and the families who need it. We have heard that across the House today. The Prime Minister has made social care a personal priority, and I am working with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to deliver changes now, alongside the work being done by the Casey commission, which we have expedited by a year.

Building a national care service will mean that people know where to turn when they need help and that care workers are given the status and the respect they deserve. We are pushing ahead with workforce changes, including career progression, training and job security, and we have made £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care by the end of this Parliament, including £500 million for the first fair pay agreement for care workers. We will strengthen social care now—we are not just waiting for the Casey commission—and provide greater choice and independence as we do so.

Turning to palliative care—

[Dame Meg Hillier]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, I have huge respect for the Minister, but she has said that she will not take any interventions. She is a very good Minister, and I trust that she will answer in detail the points that have been raised in the House today; having discussions with her and the Government after the debate is too late for today’s vote. I know she is a thorough and assiduous Minister and I am sure she will do her best to do that, but it is important to make that point to the House.

--- Later in debate ---

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

As the hon. and very experienced Member will know, that was not a point of order and not a matter for the Chair, but I am sure the Minister has heard her.

[Alison McGovern]

I also respect my hon. Friend and, though it was not a point of order, the House will have heard what she said. I am attempting to address the points that have been raised in the debate, particularly on procedural matters, on social care and palliative care, which I turn to now.

Palliative care is extremely important and has been raised many times within the debate. As the Chair of the Select Committee set out, we are developing a modern service framework for palliative and end-of-life care. The framework is clinically led and evidence-based, to support sustained improvements in outcomes for patients and carers, including by systematically identifying, measuring and reducing health inequalities and reducing unwarranted variation in access, in experience and in outcomes. As part of that work, we expect all integrated care boards to complete a needs assessment so that we can get a detailed understanding of their current and future population, including people of all ages with palliative care and end-of-life needs. That is vital in order to commission services that best meet the need while providing value for money. Many hon. Members raised the importance of doing that, and particularly of reducing unwanted variation. I acknowledge that and I will be working with Members across the House to deliver that modern service framework.

Members quite rightly mentioned the hospice sector. We provided a £125 million capital boost to funding for adult and children and young people’s hospices. I say to hon. Members that I have heard the points that they have made, and I know we have more to do. Many hon. Members and friends will know that in July, I lost my own mum, so I had a very practical education in this topic, and that experience will shape how I take this work forward.

To conclude, I thank all hon. Members once again for all they have said. They will understand how difficult it is when we are sharing personal experience, as many of them have done today, and I am really proud of everybody who has done so, difficult and challenging though this issue is. I thank all Members who have given me their sympathy over recent months and weeks. It has been so appreciated.

The Government remain neutral on whether the Bill should become law, but it is our serious responsibility, should Parliament pass it, to ensure effective implementation within the framework provided by the legislation. On that basis, we would provide technical support to the promoter if Parliament chooses to progress the Bill.

That said, I will repeat the comments made by the right hon. Member for East Hampshire from the Opposition Dispatch Box, which I now say on behalf of the Government. This is a deeply challenging issue for us all, for the public and for the constituents we represent. In discussing this issue, we must model the best behaviour of this House—having respectful, thoughtful, careful debate, listening to one another and understanding our very different perspectives. I think that we have done that today. I hope that, whatever happens in the Division, we will be able to continue to show those behaviours and give this serious subject the deep respect it deserves.