Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Daniel Francis Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 11th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I also want to talk about data from the King’s Fund, which shows that in 2023-24 local authorities received more than 2 million requests for social care support for new clients, but only 859,000 received publicly funded, long-term social care, nearly two thirds of them older people. That means that 58% received no support.

Furthermore, the Government’s equality impact assessment gives me pause. It acknowledges concerns that people from ethnic minority backgrounds may face higher risks because of poorer access to healthcare, poverty, lower quality of care and higher levels of abuse. Disabled people and disability organisations have also spoken powerfully throughout this debate about their concerns and the risks they believe this legislation could pose. We should listen carefully to those voices, because for many people the question is not simply whether they have been coerced; it is whether they are making this choice in circumstances none of us would want for ourselves.

[Daniel Francis (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for giving way. This week we have seen evidence from Kingston University reinforcing that people with learning disabilities see advice from a doctor not as advice, but as a recommendation. We know from their experience during covid that they were five times more likely to have a “do not resuscitate” order placed on them. Does she share my view that those issues in the equality impact assessment reinforce the point that for people with learning disabilities, this legislation would remain unsafe?

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

I thank my hon. Friend, and I do share those concerns. I have met with constituents who have also been impacted, and I have seen that in the equality impact assessment.

My point is whether people would be making this choice in circumstances none of us would want for ourselves: the person unable to access the social care they need, the person worried about the financial consequences of their illness, the person who feels like a burden to those they love, or the person facing loneliness, dependency or abuse. Where evidence identifies greater risks for particular groups and where respected voices continue to raise concerns about whether existing safeguards are sufficient, I believe Parliament has a duty to take those concerns seriously and to test whether more can be done, because access to death should never be easier than access to dignity in life.

I want every person approaching the end of life to receive the dignity, support and compassion that I have seen provided by our hospices across the country. But, having considered the evidence before us, I am not persuaded that these serious concerns about inequality, disability, safeguarding and end-of-life uncertainty have been adequately resolved. Until I can feel confident that the safeguards are strong enough to protect the most vulnerable, I do not believe that Parliament should create a legal route to an assisted death.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mary Kelly Foy]

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, but he will find that there are statistics on that. In America, 8% of those who have been deemed to have chosen to end their life have faced huge financial difficulties.

[Daniel Francis]

The Kingston University research that I referred to earlier shows that in the Netherlands, people with learning disabilities cited being coerced into an assisted death. Does my hon. Friend share my concerns about that?

[Mary Kelly Foy]

I could not agree more—these issues have come to light in similar jurisdictions around the world.

We know that there is a greater risk of social coercion driven by the inequalities that people face. Under the current proposals, will the panel of experts be able to adequately assess the impact of the wider pressures of life? The truth is that when we talk about choice, the reality of making such a choice is very different for the wealthy than it is for others. Inequality shapes health outcomes throughout our lives, as well as the options available to people at the end of their life. The choices facing someone who is financially secure are very different from those facing someone on a low income, relying on benefits or struggling to make ends meet. As I say, evidence from other countries starkly highlights that such social and economic factors—including inequality in the provision of healthcare—are significant for those who are deemed to have chosen to end their life. We should not ignore that.

For more than a decade, we have seen public services come under strain, disability support reduced, and rising hardship for many families. During covid, we witnessed immense pressures on our health system, and I worry that we risk telling people that we cannot always guarantee the support needed to live well, but we can offer greater choice in death. Real choice can only come with high-quality care, strong support services and access to excellent palliative care. That would provide dignity, and it is our job—and a challenge for society—to deliver the chance of real dignity for those facing terminal illness.

The people most exposed to the risks within the Bill are often those who already face disadvantage: older people, women, those living in poverty and those with poor mental health. We live in a very unequal society; the wealthy are better protected from hardship, while others face pressures that can profoundly influence their decisions. I cannot be clear enough in saying that poverty should never be the reason for someone to choose to die.

I conclude by returning to Maria. While she will not be able to hear my remarks today, I know she would be pleased that I finally got to make my case, and I urge colleagues to bear in mind people like Maria when they cast their votes. If we are serious about dignity and choice, our first duty should be to improve care, strengthen support and tackle the inequalities that shape people’s lives.