Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Catherine Fookes and Abena Oppong-Asare

2nd reading
Friday 11th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ms Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab)]

Before I begin, I declare an interest as a patron of my local hospice, Community hospice. I want to be clear from the outset that I am not opposed to assisted dying in principle; I understand why many people support a change in the law, and I recognise the compassion that motivates those views. However, today I will set out why I remain unable to support this Bill.

This debate evokes deeply held views across the House. I respect my colleagues who have reached a different conclusion, but the question that has troubled me throughout remains the same: can a choice ever be truly free if the support, care and dignity that people deserve are not equally available to all? Through my work with my local hospice, I have seen at first hand what excellent end-of-life care can achieve. I have seen dignity, comfort and compassion, and I have seen how much those final months, weeks and days can mean to individuals and families. That experience leaves me convinced of one thing: dignity at the end of life is possible, and it is our challenge to make it available to everyone.

I have listened carefully to constituents on all sides of this debate. One constituent wrote to me about caring for both her husband and her former partner after they were diagnosed with terminal cancer. Both were told that they had no more than six months to live, but both lived for more than a year beyond that prediction. During that time, they were able to reconnect with family, spend precious time with loved ones and continue to live meaningful lives. Her message was simple: prognosis is not certainty, and diagnosis is not the end of the journey. That does not mean that doctors are wrong, but it does mean that when Parliament considers legislation built around predictions of life expectancy, we must take that uncertainty seriously.

[Catherine Fookes]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

I will not.

I believe the concerns raised by organisations such as the Royal College of Physicians and the British Geriatrics Society about the uncertainty of the end of life, safeguarding and the definition of terminal illness deserve careful consideration.

I cannot separate this debate from my own experiences. Members of my family have experienced discrimination in the healthcare system. Those experiences leave a lasting impression; they remind us that trust, access and outcomes in healthcare are not always experienced equally by everyone. Those inequalities do not disappear when people become seriously ill.

Storm Darragh

Debate between Catherine Fookes and Abena Oppong-Asare

Tuesday 10th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

The Government are working at pace to step up further preparations for winter. We are investing £2.4 billion up to March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country. We are also looking at lessons from the floods, which are being fed directly in to the floods resilience taskforce that was set up under this new Government. That will look at flood defences and bolstering the nation’s resilience to extreme weather. I had the opportunity to attend the floods resilience taskforce with a wide range of stakeholders, and it is a positive way to address future issues. We recognise the significant impact flooding has on farmers and rural communities, which is why we are providing up to £50 million for internal drainage boards and an additional £60 million through the farming recovery fund.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to explain what has been going on in relation to Storm Darragh. Like everyone I thank the emergency services, and I also thank Monmouthshire county council for all the work it did this weekend. Over 2 million households lost power this weekend, including a group of constituents in Llangybi, one of whom was extremely vulnerable. Will the Minister share with us how many households have been reconnected?

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

As my hon. Friend mentions, up to 2.3 million customers lost power during the storm. As of this morning, as I mentioned, just under 24,000 customers are without power. The Government have been reassured that the operators are due to reconnect them all by tomorrow.