Getting assisted dying law wrong ‘too terrible to contemplate’, MPs warned

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Louise Thomas

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The consequences of getting assisted dying legislation wrong are “too terrible to contemplate” a Conservative former minister has said, as they called for more time to debate an upcoming Bill.

During Prime Minister’s Questions Sir David Davis said the Prime Minister needs to make sure the legislation is “right first time”, with Sir Keir Starmer responding that any legal changes in the area need to be “effective”.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will introduce a private members’ bill (PMB) on assisted dying after topping a ballot, which gives her priority on a Friday sitting.

It is expected to be formally introduced on October 16, with a debate and initial vote on the matter possible within weeks.

In the Commons on Wednesday Sir David compared the assisted dying PMB to the 1967 Abortion Act which was also introduced as a private members’ bill by Liberal MP David Steel.

Sir David said: “On the assisted dying private members’ bill, the Government is quite rightly staying neutral. But the real issue with that Bill is the time constraints of private legislation make it very difficult to get it right first time.

“If we get this wrong first time the consequences are too terrible to contemplate.

“In 1967 the government of the day gave government time to allow David Steel’s Abortion Bill to go through.

“Would the Prime Minister commit to giving extra time out of Government time to this Bill to ensure that we get this right first time?”

Sir Keir replied: “I thank him for raising this question on a really important issue, and I do understand there are strongly held views across the House and on both sides and within both sides, if I can put it in that way.

“I do agree with him that it is important that we ensure that any change to the law, if there is to be one, is effective.

“Now, if this House gives the Bill a second reading, it will, of course, then go to the committee as usual, which will allow that more detailed scrutiny.

“But we do need a discussion more broadly on this important issue.”

The upcoming debate of the issue will be the first time the topic has been formally discussed in the House of Commons since 2015, when an assisted dying Bill was defeated.