Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Rachel Taylor and Christine Jardine

2nd reading
Friday 11th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Christine Jardine]

I do, but they are each one individual, and each of the professional organisations is neutral, and believe me, I envy them on that.

We have the responsibility to make the decision. The majority of us have already said that this is the best Bill we can produce. We—the majority of us—have made that decision once already, and we sent it to the other place. If we do that again today, I hope that those in the other place listen and take that on board and that the handful of peers who blocked it—

[Rachel Taylor]

The hon. Lady speaks with great passion. Does she agree that members in the other place bringing forward amendments such as suggesting that women who had been through the menopause, or men, needed to have a pregnancy test before they could be eligible for an assisted death, was a deliberate attempt to wreck the Bill, as opposed to undertaking their important role of scrutiny?

[Christine Jardine]

I completely agree, and it did the other place no credit at all that they did that.

There is something interesting and noticeable about all the experiences we have heard today. I have personal experience, which I admit influences my view. I saw my mother go through a very painful death and wished that she had had the choice. I do not know what she would have done, but I wished that she had had the choice. What is interesting is that we have all taken different things from those experiences. Some of us have said that we cannot do it because of that experience, and others have said that we must do it because of that experience, because we have all made decisions. We all have the right to make decisions for ourselves, and that can surely be no more important than when we face the final decision that we will face. It is for that reason—to respect that choice, to respect a decision that has already been made in this place, to respect the will of the British people—that I ask the House to send this Bill back to the Lords for approval.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Taylor and Christine Jardine

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

4. What recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle issues impacting the civil service pension scheme.

[Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

15. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the delivery of the civil service pension scheme.