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Adjournment debate on Tuesday, 11 November 2008, in the House of Commons, led by Hugh Bayley. The answering member was Maria Eagle.

Assisted Dying

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on the law related to assisted dying.

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
482 c221-43WH 
Session
2007-08
Department
Ministry of Justice
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Related items
Deposited Paper DEP2008-2797
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Deposited papers
House of Commons
Assisted Dying
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Written questions
House of Lords
Proceeding contributions
David Leslie Taylor | 482 c221WH (Link to this contribution) No doubt the hon. Gentleman would care to clarify that the majority of doctors were, when last asked...
Evan Harris | 482 c221WH (Link to this contribution) Thank you for that statement, Mr. Bayley. It is a pleasure to have you in the Chair. Many hon. Memb...
Show all contributions (58)
Speaker | 482 c221WH (Link to this contribution) Thank you. Before I call Dr. Evan Harris to open the debate, I should inform the Chamber that he has...
Andrew Smith | 482 c222WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my neighbour from Oxford for giving way. I am sure that we can all understand the s...
Evan Harris | 482 c221-2WH (Link to this contribution) I have never been of the view that what doctors say goes, and I do not believe that I am in a minori...
Evan Harris | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) Did the hon. Gentleman say ““assisted suicide”” or ““assisted death””? I assume that he is talking a...
Evan Harris | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) I do not know the answer to that question, but—
Julian Lewis | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) If the hon. Gentleman wishes to quibble about the point, I am speaking in the context of what he is ...
Julian Lewis | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman tell us how many people who have assisted others to commit suicide have actu...
Evan Harris | 482 c222-3WH (Link to this contribution) Of course I accept that there is a difference, but it is not so great that autonomy should be taken ...
Evan Harris | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) But I do not whether the hon. Gentleman is happy that people are doing that and not being imprisoned...
Maria Eagle | 482 c223WH (Link to this contribution) I can give the Chamber the opportunity to hear the answer to the question asked by the hon. Member f...
Evan Harris | 482 c225-6WH (Link to this contribution) I think those figures are available and if the hon. Gentleman will allow me, I will try to come back...
Peter Bottomley | 482 c225WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is helping the House and the country by talking about death in a way that is not ...
Speaker | 482 c226WH (Link to this contribution) Order. A great number of hon. Members want to speak. I have not quite done the calculations, but we ...
Evan Harris | 482 c223-5WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister must be asked the same question, then. Is it a good thing that people are apparently br...
David Winnick | 482 c228WH (Link to this contribution) That reminds me of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I am not surprised, as such things t...
Brian Iddon | 482 c228WH (Link to this contribution) Is my hon. Friend aware that, in those elections, the states of California, Michigan and Maine rejec...
David Winnick | 482 c226-8WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on securing the debate. It...
John Pugh | 482 c226WH (Link to this contribution) I am speaking for the Front Bench.
Mark Field | 482 c228-9WH (Link to this contribution) Unlike the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris), I believe that the empire of the ...
Brian Iddon | 482 c230WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry but I cannot, as I have limited time. Over five years, Lord Joffe made three attempts in...
Brian Iddon | 482 c230WH (Link to this contribution) First, I declare that I am chairman of the national Care Not Killing alliance and a patron of Alert....
Mark Field | 482 c229-30WH (Link to this contribution) Absolutely. In many ways, the case demonstrates some of the difficulties that we face in trying to f...
James Plaskitt | 482 c229WH (Link to this contribution) Would the hon. Gentleman confirm, however, that if Lord Joffe’s Bill had been enacted that individua...
Evan Harris | 482 c230-1WH (Link to this contribution) I have a huge amount of respect for the hon. Gentleman and I know that he has considered these matte...
Brian Iddon | 482 c231WH (Link to this contribution) I think that my further remarks will answer that question. The Voluntary Euthanasia Society started...
Brian Iddon | 482 c231-2WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry but I will not give way. The law cannot be changed significantly in the courts of law. A...
Maria Eagle | 482 c242WH (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will do so, but I can draw my right hon. and learned Friend’s atte...
Lord Garnier | 482 c239-41WH (Link to this contribution) I will endeavour to cover the four corners of the debate as best I can in the short time available. ...
Maria Eagle | 482 c241-2WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on securing this debate. T...
Crispin Blunt | 482 c242WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister says when ““parliamentary time allows””, but on behalf of all who have taken part in th...
Maria Eagle | 482 c242WH (Link to this contribution) I can certainly draw the attention of my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House to th...
Paul Robert Holmes | 482 c238-9WH (Link to this contribution) I thank my hon. Friend for giving way. He is my friend in the real world, not only in terms of the j...
Speaker | 482 c239WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Interventions should be short. I am sure that everyone wants the Minister to reply.
John Pugh | 482 c239WH (Link to this contribution) I am finishing, Mr. Martlew. My key point is that whatever their condition, some people will choose ...
Maria Eagle | 482 c243WH (Link to this contribution) I agree that there are pros and cons to the status quo, and I can see that there will be pros and co...
Maria Eagle | 482 c242-3WH (Link to this contribution) It is not a no. It is not fair to say that. I have undertaken to draw the matter to my right hon. an...
Evan Harris | 482 c243WH (Link to this contribution) Does the Minister agree with the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) that no safeguard coul...
Madeleine Moon | 482 c238WH (Link to this contribution) I apologise, Mr. Martlew. On some of those sites, there is also encouragement to take one’s life. Is...
John Pugh | 482 c238WH (Link to this contribution) I agree, but that is probably outwith the remit of the debate. I am simply making the point that the...
Madeleine Moon | 482 c238WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has put together quite a cogent argument, but something that he has not addressed...
Speaker | 482 c238WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Interventions should be short.
John Pugh | 482 c237-8WH (Link to this contribution) This is not the first time that I have debated euthanasia with my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford,...
Brian Iddon | 482 c232WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry but I will not give way. We have limited time. The majority of doctors are opposed to ph...
Crispin Blunt | 482 c232-4WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) for reasons that I sha...
Speaker | 482 c234WH (Link to this contribution) There is time for two four-minute speeches before we start the wind-ups.
Chris McCafferty | 482 c234WH (Link to this contribution) Like my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon), I declare an interest: I am the c...
Speaker | 482 c234WH (Link to this contribution) Order. I remind the hon. Lady of what I said at the start of the debate: hon. Members can talk about...
Chris McCafferty | 482 c234-6WH (Link to this contribution) I take that on board entirely, Mr. Bayley. Indeed, the judges ruled that only Parliament can change ...
Julian Lewis | 482 c236-7WH (Link to this contribution) In view of the fact that the hon. Member for Calder Valley (Chris McCafferty) took more than twice a...
Speaker | 482 c236WH (Link to this contribution) Order. I should like to allow another hon. Member to speak before the start of the winding-up speech...
Chris McCafferty | 482 c236WH (Link to this contribution) I take on board that point, Mr. Martlew. I shall make just a couple of final points. The Law Commiss...
Subjects
Euthanasia Suicide Dignitas Purdy, Debbie
Link
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