Lords committee stage ninth day. Clause 2, as amended, agreed to. Clause 3 agreed to.

Lords committee stage ninth day. Clause 2, as amended, agreed to. Clause 3 agreed to.

My Lords, I believe that there may be some people who wish to speak before I come to my final remarks. I certainly want to hear from the Front Benches and the sponsor of the Bill. I will therefore withhold any remarks at the moment.

My Lords, I believe that there may be some people who wish to speak before I come to my final remarks. I certainly want to hear from the Front Benches and the sponsor of the Bill. I will therefore withhold any remarks at the moment.

My Lords, I have added my name to Amendments 102 and 106 in this group. Clause 2 is of the utmost importance because the definition of “terminal illness” underpins everything in the Bill. Without a terminal illness, the Bill does not apply and there is no ability to seek assistance...

My Lords, I have added my name to Amendments 102 and 106 in this group. Clause 2 is of the utmost importance because the definition of “terminal illness” underpins everything in the Bill. Without a terminal illness, the Bill does not apply and there is no ability to seek assistance...

My Lords, I have four amendments in this group, three of which are closely related. They are Amendments 85, 894 and 896, the latter two of which are consequential on Amendment 85. I also have Amendment 100, but I will come back to that towards the end. I am grateful...

My Lords, I have four amendments in this group, three of which are closely related. They are Amendments 85, 894 and 896, the latter two of which are consequential on Amendment 85. I also have Amendment 100, but I will come back to that towards the end. I am grateful...

My Lords, I have tabled Amendment 73. One of the issues here is whether a disease is terminal without treatment. A simple example is type 1 diabetes. The World Health Organization classifies diabetes as a disease. That means that, under the Bill as it stands, as pointed out by witnesses...

My Lords, I have tabled Amendment 73. One of the issues here is whether a disease is terminal without treatment. A simple example is type 1 diabetes. The World Health Organization classifies diabetes as a disease. That means that, under the Bill as it stands, as pointed out by witnesses...

My Lords, I have not spoken in this debate before, but the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, last week made me want to do so. He reminded us that:

“Nobody could say that a doctor can tell you that you will die within six months. But the Bill does...

My Lords, I have not spoken in this debate before, but the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, last week made me want to do so. He reminded us that:

“Nobody could say that a doctor can tell you that you will die within six months. But the Bill does...

My name was on the list. I checked last week and my name was on there.

My name was on the list. I checked last week and my name was on there.

Let him speak.

Let him speak.

Thank you. I checked before I left, so I am puzzled.

The noble Lord, Lord Pannick, referred to situations where, as set out in the Bill,

“‘the person has an inevitably progressive illness or disease which cannot be reversed … and … the person’s death in consequence … can reasonably be expected...

Thank you. I checked before I left, so I am puzzled.

The noble Lord, Lord Pannick, referred to situations where, as set out in the Bill,

“‘the person has an inevitably progressive illness or disease which cannot be reversed … and … the person’s death in consequence … can reasonably be expected...

My Lords, can I address the Committee on a personal note? My late brother-in-law suffered from muscular dystrophy, a horrendous progressive disease that many noble Lords may have come across. In the last years of his life, he was pushed around in a wheelchair. It was very difficult for the...

My Lords, can I address the Committee on a personal note? My late brother-in-law suffered from muscular dystrophy, a horrendous progressive disease that many noble Lords may have come across. In the last years of his life, he was pushed around in a wheelchair. It was very difficult for the...

Is the Committee prepared to hear me?

Is the Committee prepared to hear me?

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you. I apologise to the Front Bench about that.

The problem was, in the later part of his life, his lungs began to give way. I remember him saying to me, in the last two or three months of his life, “I just wish somebody could help me so that...

Thank you. I apologise to the Front Bench about that.

The problem was, in the later part of his life, his lungs began to give way. I remember him saying to me, in the last two or three months of his life, “I just wish somebody could help me so that...

Would the noble Lord agree that the word is “suffocated”, rather than “die”?

Would the noble Lord agree that the word is “suffocated”, rather than “die”?

I apologise. Yes, the word is “suffocated”—he was suffocating as his lungs began to fade.

I apologise. Yes, the word is “suffocated”—he was suffocating as his lungs began to fade.

My Lords, I support the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey. I am going to talk about my sister, whom I asked before she died whether I could bring her case before your Lordships. She said yes, so I have.

My sister had a very unhappy life; she was...

My Lords, I support the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey. I am going to talk about my sister, whom I asked before she died whether I could bring her case before your Lordships. She said yes, so I have.

My sister had a very unhappy life; she was...

My Lords, I rise to support Amendment 105 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, to which I have added my name. I am saddened by the prejudice we have heard expressed by Members of your Lordships’ House this morning. For those of us with...

My Lords, I rise to support Amendment 105 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, to which I have added my name. I am saddened by the prejudice we have heard expressed by Members of your Lordships’ House this morning. For those of us with...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Shamash, mentioned a very moving story from his family regarding Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and I have a similar story but from a slightly different angle. My cousin Stephen was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the 1960s, when this was a terminal illness without...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Shamash, mentioned a very moving story from his family regarding Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and I have a similar story but from a slightly different angle. My cousin Stephen was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the 1960s, when this was a terminal illness without...

My Lords, I am another Peer who sat here for many hours last Friday, desperately keen to speak to this group of amendments. Towards the end, at nearly 5.30 pm, I heard the magnificent speech of the noble Lord, Lord Rook, who is not currently in his place. It really...

My Lords, I am another Peer who sat here for many hours last Friday, desperately keen to speak to this group of amendments. Towards the end, at nearly 5.30 pm, I heard the magnificent speech of the noble Lord, Lord Rook, who is not currently in his place. It really...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to put on the record one useful piece of information, which is very relevant to the debates that we have had. Somebody previously referred to the welcome cancer plan that the Government published, and I thought it worth sharing with the Committee that there...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to put on the record one useful piece of information, which is very relevant to the debates that we have had. Somebody previously referred to the welcome cancer plan that the Government published, and I thought it worth sharing with the Committee that there...