Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a cost benefit analysis of the implementation of assisted dying.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No cost benefit analysis has been made of the implementation of assisted dying.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to require veterinarians to (a) record and (b) publish information on all animals they euthanise.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Euthanasia of an animal is an important means to help protect animal welfare by being able to relieve suffering. Whilst this is the primary reason for euthanasia, a veterinary surgeon must also take account of the owners’ wishes and circumstances. Advice about euthanasia is laid out in the guidance underpinning the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Code of Professional Conduct, which all veterinary surgeons practising in the UK must adhere to. Where a veterinary surgeon considers a request for euthanasia is not in the best interest of the animal, they can challenge this.
We have not seen evidence of widespread unnecessary euthanasia and we do not consider that the case for a new reporting requirement has been established.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to implement mandatory reporting by veterinarians of the euthanasia of (a) healthy and (b) otherwise treatable animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Euthanasia of an animal is an important means to help protect animal welfare by being able to relieve suffering. Whilst this is the primary reason for euthanasia, a veterinary surgeon must also take account of the owners’ wishes and circumstances. Advice about euthanasia is laid out in the guidance underpinning the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Code of Professional Conduct, which all veterinary surgeons practising in the UK must adhere to. Where a veterinary surgeon considers a request for euthanasia is not in the best interest of the animal, they can challenge this.
We have not seen evidence of widespread unnecessary euthanasia and we do not consider that the case for a new reporting requirement has been established.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many XL Bully dogs have been seized by the police since 1 January 2024; and how many and what proportion of those seized have been euthanised.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold data on XL Bully dogs which have been seized by the police. This information would be held by individual police forces.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on NHS services of the introduction of legislation to permit assisted dying.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No assessment has been made of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care. The Government recognises that access to high-quality, personalised palliative and end of life care can make a significant difference to individuals and their families, at a sensitive time.
While the National Health Service has always been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, palliative care services were added to the list of services an integrated care board must commission, promoting a more consistent national approach and supporting commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will issue guidance to her Department on using the term (a) assisted suicide when referring to procedures that involve ingesting poison prescribed by a doctor with the intent to die and (b) euthanasia when referring to the delivery of a lethal injection by a doctor.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are currently no plans to issue guidance on using the terms assisted suicide, when referring to procedures that involve ingesting poison prescribed by a doctor with the intent to die, and euthanasia, when referring to the delivery of a lethal injection by a doctor.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with Ofcom to undertake a review of the adequacy of guidance to the media on the reporting of (a) assisted suicide, (b) euthanasia and (c) other suicide cases.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Guidance on how broadcasters report assisted suicide, euthanasia and other suicide cases is a matter for Ofcom as the UK’s independent broadcasting regulator. Ofcom are required by law to keep the Broadcasting Code and any accompanying guidance under review.
In the UK, there is an independent self-regulatory regime for the press. The Government does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish or oversee the work of press regulators.
Asked by: Mark Eastwood (Conservative - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent euthanisation of healthy dogs in (a) Dewsbury constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2021, we worked closely with the veterinary profession to provide greater assurance that alternatives to euthanasia are explored before a healthy dog is put down. Following these discussions, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons agreed that vets should scan the microchip in these circumstances to check whether anyone else has an interest in the dog who might provide an alternative to euthanasia. This has been included in the guidance underpinning the Code of Professional Conduct. This applies to all veterinary surgeons practising in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has issued in compensation to people who have given up their XL Bully dog to be euthanised in (a) Solihull constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has issued £12,200 in compensation for the euthanasia of XL Bully Dogs in England and Wales as of the 8th January 2024. Defra does not collate this data by constituency. Therefore, we are unable to provide the number of applications received from Solihull.