Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for creating a statutory requirement that all patients who consider assisted dying have timely access to palliative and hospice care through the NHS.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is, first and foremost, a matter for Parliament. This is a Private Member’s Bill, and we cannot pre‑suppose the outcome of the legislative process.

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement HLWS1086, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.