That this House is saddened by the death of the terminally ill doctor Anne Turner who chose to travel to Switzerland to receive assistance to die; hopes that her son and daughters who accompanied her are treated with compassion and sensitivity by the authorities on their return to the UK; is concerned that this is the 42nd case of its kind in the past three years and yet the Director of Public Prosecutions still refuses to publish guidance as to whether family members who accompany their relatives overseas for an assisted death are breaking the law; notes that recent research by Clive Seale from Brunel University has uncovered that, on average, there are eight illegal assisted deaths performed by doctors in the UK every day; and believes this sensitive issue should be further discussed in this House.

That this House is saddened by the death of the terminally ill doctor Anne Turner who chose to travel to Switzerland to receive assistance to die; hopes that her son and daughters who accompanied her are treated with compassion and sensitivity by the authorities on their return to the UK;...

That this House welcomes the introduction of the Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill and the opportunity it presents to allow terminally ill adults to make a considered request for medical assistance to die; notes that the Joint Committee on Human Rights, who examined the Bill, concluded that, '...the safeguards set out in the Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill would be adequate to protect the interests and rights of vulnerable patients. They would ensure that nobody could lawfully be subjected to assisted dying without his or her fully informed consent'; and believes that this Bill is in accordance with the views of 80 per cent. of the population who support this proposal.

That this House welcomes the introduction of the Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill and the opportunity it presents to allow terminally ill adults to make a considered request for medical assistance to die; notes that the Joint Committee on Human Rights, who examined the Bill, concluded that, '...the safeguards set out...

That this House welcomes the growing use of living wills, which allow patients to set out the medical treatments they would accept or refuse should they lose the ability to communicate; recognises that they are also a great help to health professionals because they give them a better understanding of how patients wish to be treated; and calls upon all hospital and primary care trusts to draw up and enact guidelines to enable staff to recognise and respond to them safely and effectively.

That this House welcomes the growing use of living wills, which allow patients to set out the medical treatments they would accept or refuse should they lose the ability to communicate; recognises that they are also a great help to health professionals because they give them a better understanding of...

That this House welcomes the Quality of Mercy report issued by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society; notes with concern the findings that 30 per cent. of those who assist in someone else's death in the United Kingdom go on to commit suicide; notes that there is a wide disparity between the penalties laid out in law and the number of prosecutions and sentences handed down; is concerned that unlike many other countries no formal research has been carried out into end-of-life decision-making in the United Kingdom; notes that members of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament have recently proposed that this issue should be researched and discussed in greater detail; and calls on the Government to carry out research into this issue as a matter of urgency.

That this House welcomes the Quality of Mercy report issued by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society; notes with concern the findings that 30 per cent. of those who assist in someone else's death in the United Kingdom go on to commit suicide; notes that there is a wide disparity between the...

That this House notes that the House of Lords' decision in the case of Pretty makes it clear that in accordance with section 2(4) of the Suicide Act 1961 it lies with the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide which cases he believes should or should not be prosecuted; further notes that, in particular, Lord Hope found that the DPP is entitled to form and publish a policy as to the criteria he will apply when exercising his discretion under section 2(4) of the Act; and calls upon the Government to ensure this policy is published as a matter of urgency, so families set to travel abroad to help their terminally ill relatives receive an assisted death can regulate their conduct with reference to the criminal law.

That this House notes that the House of Lords' decision in the case of Pretty makes it clear that in accordance with section 2(4) of the Suicide Act 1961 it lies with the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide which cases he believes should or should not be prosecuted; further...

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.

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 House conveys its deepest sympathies to Brian Pretty and his family on the death of his wife Diane after her long and distressing illness; expresses its admiration for Diane in her courageous and determined campaign to choose the manner and time of her own death; recognises the overwhelming public support for Diane in pursuit of the right to die as she wished; urges that serious consideration is now given to appropriate changes in the law to permit others in future to exercise the choice not granted to Diane; is convinced that Diane's brave fight has paved the way for such a right being established in law; considers that many in future will have cause to be deeply grateful to Diane for a move towards progressive change she has done so much to advance; and believes that Diane Pretty will always be remembered for what she achieved.

That this House conveys its deepest sympathies to Brian Pretty and his family on the death of his wife Diane after her long and distressing illness; expresses its admiration for Diane in her courageous and determined campaign to choose the manner and time of her own death; recognises the overwhelming...

That this House condemns the House of Lords' decision not to grant Diane Pretty's husband immunity from prosecution should he help her to die; notes that every opinion poll conducted in the past year registers over 80 per cent. of support for terminally ill patients to be given the choice to die in a manner and at a time of their choosing; believes that this choice should not be determined by the availability of good palliative care; is concerned that doctors practising in the United Kingdom have repeatedly admitted that unregulated assisted dying currently takes place; and believe that legislation to regulate assisted dying, incorporating a broad range of safeguards, is required to empower terminally-ill patients with the choice to die with dignity.

That this House condemns the House of Lords' decision not to grant Diane Pretty's husband immunity from prosecution should he help her to die; notes that every opinion poll conducted in the past year registers over 80 per cent. of support for terminally ill patients to be given the choice...

That this House welcomes the not guilty verdict brought in by the jury at Newcastle Crown Court and the summing up by Judge Hooper following the admission by Dr Moor that he had, at the patient's request, alleviated the suffering of 85 year old cancer victim George Liddell in July 1997 by administering the painkiller Diamorphine; warmly applauds the overwhelming support given to Dr Moor by hundreds of his regular patients over the two long years of investigation by the prosecuting authorities; recognises that while palliative care has made many welcome advances it does not answer all the problems of a dying person; and calls on the Government to introduce clear legislation on the issue of doctor assisted dying to ease the burden of many of those 300,000 people in Britain who are at any one time terminally ill, suffering unbearable distress and sign a declaration requesting medical help to die.

That this House welcomes the not guilty verdict brought in by the jury at Newcastle Crown Court and the summing up by Judge Hooper following the admission by Dr Moor that he had, at the patient's request, alleviated the suffering of 85 year old cancer victim George Liddell in July...

That this House welcomes the recent confirmation by the Parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia of the Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995; notes that following due Parliamentary procedures the people of the Northern Territory will soon have the right in strictly defined circumstances to choose to die at the end of life to relieve their own intolerable suffering; believes that this right should be extended to the people of the United Kingdom; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation which will give British people the right to choose at the end of life.

That this House welcomes the recent confirmation by the Parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia of the Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995; notes that following due Parliamentary procedures the people of the Northern Territory will soon have the right in strictly defined circumstances to choose...