Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Brian Iddon (Labour), on Thursday, 23 January 2003, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 74 members in total.

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ASSISTED SUICIDES AND EUTHANASIA

That this House notes the suffering of patients with Motor Neurone Disease and similarly debilitating diseases and recognises the anguish of the families who care for loved ones with these conditions; regrets that these patients are being used by a lobby in favour of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia; regrets that this lobby is using the media to frighten people who may be in the early stages of these diseases; notes that palliative care is of such a high quality in the UK that these patients need not die in pain or fear; notes that specialists within the Hospice Movement have repeatedly stated that Motor Neurone Disease patients in their care very rarely, if ever, choke to death today; calls on the media to be more responsible and less biased in their coverage of this difficult topic; regrets that BBC News 24 claimed that the response to a poll, published on 20th January, indicated that 90 per cent. of British people support legalising euthanasia without giving the number of its respondents, and has refused to give the figures to interested parties since the poll; and demands that the Government do not change the existing law, and that euthanasia in all its forms, including assisted suicide, should remain illegal.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

568 

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Chronic illnesses Diseases Law Ethics Euthanasia Media Motor neurone disease Suicide

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk