Found: principle be overcome, but only in excepJonal cases – as demonstrated by the recent Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: and that those that do progress may be difficult to scrutinise fully, such as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: coincided with the time when I was absent from this Committee because I was on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: different stages of the debate.137 The PBO produced a similar document for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: different stages of the debate.137 The PBO produced a similar document for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: PEoLC) landscape has come into sharp focus in the context of the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: committee until after the completion of work on the temporary select committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Joint Committee on Human Rights Uncorrected oral evidence: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Joint Committee on Human Rights Uncorrected oral evidence: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: TIA0039 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill King's College London Written Evidence

Found: TIA0040 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Exeter College Oxford Written Evidence

Found: TIA0042 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill University of Birmingham Written Evidence

Found: TIA0041 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Greg Lawton Written Evidence

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 5 November

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 5 November

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence: Terminally Ill Adults

Found: TIA0029 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill HMCTS (formerly) Written Evidence

Found: TIA0028 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill HMCTS (formerly) Written Evidence

Found: TIA0034 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill King's College London Written Evidence

Found: TIA0032 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Victoria University of Wellington Written Evidence

Found: TIA0033 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Professor Sinéad Donnelly Written Evidence

Found: TIA0031 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill University of Otago Written Evidence

Found: TIA0030 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Exeter College Oxford Written Evidence

Found: TIA0026 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill King's College London Written Evidence

Found: TIA0027 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The Law Society Written Evidence

Found: TIA0025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Royal Pharmaceutical Society Written Evidence

Found: TIA0024 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Greg Lawton Written Evidence

Found: TIA0038 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Mary Potter Hospice Written Evidence

Found: TIA0037 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse Written Evidence

Found: TIA0035 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Ministry of Justice Written Evidence

Found: TIA0036 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The University of Gloucestershire Written Evidence

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 5 November

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 5 November

Found: , That the Committee do not hold a one-off evidence session on the impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: TIA0023 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The National Down Syndrome Policy Group Written Evidence

Found: TIA0017 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill University of Gloucestershire Written Evidence

Found: TIA0018 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill MIND Written Evidence

Found: TIA0019 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Standing Together Against Domestic Abue Written Evidence

Found: TIA0020 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Baroness Grey-Thompson Written Evidence

Found: TIA0021 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Written

Found: TIA0022 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Equality and Human Rights Commission Written Evidence

Found: TIA0011 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Association for Palliative Medicine Written Evidence

Found: TIA0012 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The University of Sheffield Written Evidence

Found: TIA0013 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill King's College London Written Evidence

Found: TIA0015 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill British Geriatrics Society Written Evidence

Found: TIA0014 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill University of Birmingham Written Evidence

Found: TIA0010 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Care England Written Evidence

Found: TIA0009 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Hospice UK Written Evidence

Found: TIA0016 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Royal College of General Practitioners Written Evidence

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Corrected oral evidence Thursday 30 October 2025

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Thursday 30 October 2025

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 29 October

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 29 October

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 29 October

Found: Rusholme) (added 13 Nov 2024) 25 of 27 (92.6%) 1 Juliet Campbell sat on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: TIA0001 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Lord Falconer of Thoroton Written Evidence

Found: TIA0002 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Kim Leadbeater MP Written Evidence

Found: TIA0003 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Royal College of General Practitioners Written Evidence

Found: TIA0006 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Royal College of Pathologists Written Evidence

Found: TIA0005 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Written

Found: TIA0004 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Royal College of Psychiatrists Written Evidence

Found: TIA0008 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Thomas Teague KC Written Evidence

Found: TIA0007 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill NHS England Written Evidence

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Thursday 23 October 2025

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Thursday 23 October 2025

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 22 October

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee Uncorrected oral evidence Wednesday 22 October

Found: report of Baroness Ramsey’s committee, the Delegated Powers 19 Committee, on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Submission by CARE on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Scrutiny evidence

Found: care provision, which has emerged in the wake of separate consideration of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Question

To ask The Leader of the House to list the private member's bills that started in the Commons in this session and that are now being considered in the Lords, indicating the parliamentary stage they have reached so far.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The following private member’s bills that started in the Commons are now being considered in the Lords:

• Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - Committee stage

• Licensing Hours Extensions Bill - Committee stage

• Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill - Committee stage

• Rare Cancers Bill - Second Reading

• Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill - Committee stage

The list of private member’s bills being considered in the Lords and their stage is available and kept updated in the House of Lords Business Paper document and on the Parliament website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, and following the published impact assessment and equality impact assessment, what estimate they have made of the proportion of people who would be eligible for assistance to end their own life who have a history of depression, self-harm or other mental health conditions.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The published Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment provides illustrative figures for aspects of the service where sufficient information and evidence is available and where the level of detail contained in the bill permits.

The Government does not have an estimate of the proportion of people who would be eligible for assistance to end their own life who have a history of mental health conditions.

Further considerations for information regarding Cohort Estimates and Impacts on individuals and specific groups of individuals can be found in section 7 and section 8 of the bill’s impact assessment, a copy of which is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the purposes of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current adult safeguarding and mental capacity training among GPs, hospital consultants and community nurses.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The Government has not made an assessment of the current adult safeguarding and mental capacity training among general practitioners, hospital consultations, and/or community nurses in the context of that bill.

The Government’s consideration of the provision and training of a voluntary assisted dying service can be found in section 10 of the bill’s impact assessment, a copy of which is attached.

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the cost to the public purse to date of the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill through the House of Lords.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

It is not possible to calculate the full cost of the passage of a Bill through the House of Lords as not all factors can be appropriately separated and costed. This includes staffing time which cannot be disaggregated to just the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Costs relating to the corresponding Ministerial Department of the Bill are also not included.

The two tables below provide the details of the allowances claimed by Members of the House of Lords for the Second Reading of the Bill, taken over two days on Friday 12 and Friday 19 September 2025, and the participation of Members appointed to the Select Committee on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The costs come to £293,067 in total.

Data extending beyond 1 November 2025 is not currently available as claims must be received by the Finance Department within one month from the end of the calendar month in which the entitlement to claim arose.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for creating a statutory requirement that all patients who consider assisted dying have timely access to palliative and hospice care through the NHS.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is, first and foremost, a matter for Parliament. This is a Private Member’s Bill, and we cannot pre‑suppose the outcome of the legislative process.

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement HLWS1086, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants in his Department, beyond the Bill team, are working on the a) passage and b) preparation for the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Bill officials are currently working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, including providing technical workability advice on the bill. No officials are working on the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Act).

We are unable to quantify how many civil servants in the Department outside the bill team have provided input to the bill process. Officials in the bill team have sought input from the teams with relevant expertise on specific issues on an ad-hoc basis. None of these civil servants are working full-time on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals to assess willingness to partake in assisted suicide.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation. As such, the Government does not currently have a plan to conduct a survey of medical professionals as per the question.

As currently drafted, clause 31 of the Bill “No obligation to provide assistance etc” subsection (1) describes that “No person is under any duty to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act.”

Should the Bill gain Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. As part of this work, the Government would work closely with relevant stakeholders, including medical professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the ability of doctors to detect coercion accurately should the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill become law.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament is not a piece of Government legislation.

Should the Bill gains Royal Assent, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be undertaken. This work would include developing guidance for medical practitioners on all aspects of the Bill, including detecting coercion if necessary.

Further considerations for information regarding Provision and Training of a Voluntary Assisted Dying service can be found in section 10 of the Bill’s impact assessment. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any civil servants are working on the implementation of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill beyond the work necessary to improve the workability of the legislative drafting.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The function of the team working within the Department is to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, with regard to the legal and technical coherence of the bill.

Matters of policy have remained solely for the sponsoring members, the Hon. Member Kim Leadbeater in the Commons and the Rt Hon. Lord Falconer of Thoroton in the Lords, to determine.

None of this work to date has been done with the objective of implementing assisting dying. Should the bill gain Royal Assent, this work would form the basis of an implementation programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they are developing to ensure that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill does not inadvertently encourage assisted dying as a cost-saving measure in the healthcare system.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that is currently under consideration in Parliament has been brought forward as a Private Members’ Bill. It is not a piece of Government legislation, and the Government has taken a neutral position on assisted dying and the passage of the bill.

Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate care through to the end of their life, and this will remain a priority for the Government.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 29 September (HL10483), what is the total cost to date of employing officials working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally or in the format requested.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 10 April (HL6224), whether they have now started preparing a shadow body of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has not started preparing a shadow body of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Commissioner. The Government remains neutral on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which is still under consideration by Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government on which clauses and amendments the Department of Health and Social Care have provided advice on legal and practical workability to the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has worked with the sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on a range of workability issues and has provided legal and workability advice across the entire bill. Where the Government has provided technical or legal advice to the sponsor on specific amendments, ministers have referred to this within their remarks at the Committee and Report Stage in the House of Commons. Parliamentary Counsel has provided the technical drafting for the amendments tabled by the sponsors.

All advice provided to the sponsor in relation to the bill has been to ensure coherence of the statute book, and to help to ensure the bill is workable. The Government has remained neutral on the matter of assisted dying. The Government will continue to take this approach through the bill’s passage in the House of Lords.

The Department recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the sponsors of the bill, so that the advice the Department provides in relation to the operability and soundness of the bill can be free and frank, both in relation to this bill and any future private member’s bill where the Government engages closely with the sponsor.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the ability of police and courts to detect and prosecute offences relating to coercion as set out in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

As is standard when introducing a new offence, the Ministry of Justice will engage with criminal justice agencies, including the police, CPS, and judiciary, before commencement. These bodies will develop guidance and training through their respective organisations, such as the College of Policing and the Judicial College, to ensure officers and practitioners have the necessary powers, knowledge, and skills to detect and prosecute offences under the Bill.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place the correspondence they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Library of the House.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not intend to place the requested advice or correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the Library of the House.

Government advice and correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is in line with Government policy to ensure coherence of the statute book, and to help to ensure the bill is workable, whilst remaining neutral on the matter of assisted dying. In relation to legislative consent motions, requesting legislative consent motions from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is a matter for the sponsor. The Government continues to offer technical advice to ensure the devolution settlement is respected.

The Department recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the sponsors of the bill, so that the advice the Department provides in relation to the operability and soundness of the bill can be free and frank, both in relation to this bill and any future private member’s bill where the Government engages closely with the sponsor.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 15 October (HL10682), whether they will publish the notes of the meetings with the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the actions taken as a result of those meetings in the Library of the House.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not intend to place the requested advice or correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the Library of the House.

Government advice and correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is in line with Government policy to ensure coherence of the statute book, and to help to ensure the bill is workable, whilst remaining neutral on the matter of assisted dying. In relation to legislative consent motions, requesting legislative consent motions from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is a matter for the sponsor. The Government continues to offer technical advice to ensure the devolution settlement is respected.

The Department recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the sponsors of the bill, so that the advice the Department provides in relation to the operability and soundness of the bill can be free and frank, both in relation to this bill and any future private member’s bill where the Government engages closely with the sponsor.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have requested a Legislative Consent Motion for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill from (1) the Senedd, (2) the Northern Ireland Assembly, and (3) the Scottish Parliament; and if so, whether they will lay those letters of request in the Library of the House.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not intend to place the requested advice or correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the Library of the House.

Government advice and correspondence related to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is in line with Government policy to ensure coherence of the statute book, and to help to ensure the bill is workable, whilst remaining neutral on the matter of assisted dying. In relation to legislative consent motions, requesting legislative consent motions from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is a matter for the sponsor. The Government continues to offer technical advice to ensure the devolution settlement is respected.

The Department recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the sponsors of the bill, so that the advice the Department provides in relation to the operability and soundness of the bill can be free and frank, both in relation to this bill and any future private member’s bill where the Government engages closely with the sponsor.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 30 October (HL10679), other than the bill team, how many officials are working in (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, (2) NHS England, on evaluating or devising implementation of the policy set out in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is neutral on the principle of assisted dying and whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill becomes law.

Currently there is no implementation team. Bill officials are currently working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statue book, providing technical drafting support and technical workability advice on clauses. Should the bill gain Royal Assent, some of this work could be deployed to inform an implementation programme.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government on which clauses and amendments the Ministry of Justice have provided advice on legal and practical workability to the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has provided legal and workability advice to the Sponsors across the entire Bill.

Where the Government has provided advice to the Sponsors on specific amendments, Ministers have referred to this within their remarks at Committee and Report Stage in the House of Commons. Parliamentary Counsel has provided the technical drafting for the amendments tabled by the Sponsors.

All advice provided to the Sponsor in relation to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been to ensure the coherence of the statute book, and to help ensure the Bill is workable. The Government has remained neutral on the matter of assisted dying, and will continue to take this approach through the Bill’s passage in the House of Lords.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Levitt on 2 October (HL10681), whether they will publish the notes of the meetings with the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the actions taken as a result of those meetings in the Library of the House.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government does not intend to place the notes of meetings with the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill into the Library of the House.

As my honourable friend the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services discussed with the House of Lords Select Committee considering the Bill on 29 October, the Government has worked with the Sponsors to ensure the Bill is workable, in order to fulfil the Government’s duty of care to the statute book, whilst remaining neutral on the matter of assisted dying.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of promoting openness and transparency in Government. However, it is also in the public interest that the Government can engage confidentially with the Sponsors, so that the advice provided in relation to the operability and soundness of the Bill can be free and frank – both in relation to this Bill and any future private member’s Bill where the Government engages closely with the Sponsor.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials (1) in total, and (2) in number of full-time equivalent staff, have been involved in supporting the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Department of Health and Social Care since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The number of full-time equivalent staff working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has fluctuated since January 2025; there was not a team working on this bill prior to this, and any work on assisted dying was delivered through existing policy teams. The primary function of the team now in place is to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, with regards to the legal and technical coherence of the bill. This includes providing technical drafting support and advising on workability of the legislation, as well as supporting Ministers to fulfil their duties to Parliament, such as responding to questions and correspondence and Parliamentary debates and committee hearing. Matters of policy have remained solely for the Sponsoring Members, Kim Leadbeater MP in the House of Commons and Lord Falconer in the House of Lords, to determine.

As of 1 September 2025, there were 11.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Department of Health and Social Care Bill Team, at its largest the Bill Team was 16.8 FTEs. Where required, contributions on specific issues may have been sought from other teams, however the FTE cannot be accurately quantified for these issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of palliative care services for people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire since Rt hon. and hon. Members last considered the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Irrespective of whether the law changes on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative care and end of life care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB), including Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB, must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

We are committed to shifting more healthcare into the community so that patients and their families receive high-quality, personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards strategic commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of any direct or indirect costs to the NHS incurred by the provisions in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is not possible, or appropriate at this stage, for the Government to provide a more narrowed consideration of either the policy intents, or the possible total or net costs of implementing the Bill. The Impact Assessment advises the following:

“Where sufficient information and evidence is available, illustrative figures for some impacts have been provided. These quantified elements are for the most part uncertain with wide ranges attached but should allow for some indication of the order of magnitude. The upper bound of these ranges should not be interpreted as maximum values, nor as representative of the full range of potential costs, given there are significant aspects of the Bill that have not been possible to quantify. Adding only the quantified elements of this IA together would not give a comprehensive assessment on the net impact of the Bill because significant unquantified impacts would not be accounted for in that net figure.”

A copy of the Impact Assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care have had with promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers in the Department have had 15 meetings with the sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, namely the Hon. Member Kim Leadbeater and Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Ministry of Justice have had with promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have had 12 meetings with the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Kim Leadbeater MP and Lord Falconer of Thoroton).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials (1) in total, and (2) in number of full-time equivalent staff, have been involved in supporting the promoters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the Ministry of Justice since November 2020.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The number of full-time equivalent staff involved in providing technical drafting support and workability advice to the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has fluctuated since January 2025. As of 1 September 2025, there were 3.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Ministry of Justice.

Where required, contributions on specific issues may have been sought from other teams; however, the FTE cannot be accurately quantified for these issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many full-time equivalent officials have been working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (1) in total, and (2) in each Department.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The number of officials providing technical drafting support and workability advice to the Sponsors of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has fluctuated since January 2025. As of 1 September 2025, there were 11.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Department of Health and Social Care. Additionally, 3.1 FTE officials from the Ministry of Justice, 3.2 FTE officials from the Government Legal Department, and 1.8 FTE officials from Cabinet Office were supporting this team, also counted as of 1 September 2025. The total FTE for officials working on the Bill as of 1 September 2025 was 19.9.

Where needed contributions on specific, individual, technical issues have been sought from other teams, but the FTE cannot be accurately quantified for these issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the officials working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill have been doing so only to the extent necessary to ensure that the Bill is technically and legally workable should it become law.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is neutral on the principle of assisted dying and whether the Bill becomes law. Officials are working to fulfil the Government’s duty to the statute book, providing technical drafting support and workability advice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 July (HL8983), which Minister took the decision to make the "Assisted Dying Bill" a major priority of the Government, when they took that decision and why.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS875) which was made to the House on 22 July 2025, which stated:

“It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord Scriven contained inaccurate information related to the work of the Department for Health and Social Care.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL8983, tabled by Lord Scriven on 30 June 2025, stated that “the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities.” The answer then went on to list a number of areas which have required additional staff resource within the Department. The Assisted Dying Bill has required additional resource but should not have been referred to as a Government priority given the Government’s neutrality on the issue.

For clarity, the answer should read:

“The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.”

I would like to apologise for any confusion.”

Found: from Baroness Merron to Baroness Smith of Llanfaes regarding points raised in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 11/2025 from Baroness Merron to Baroness Coffey regarding points made during the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: recommended Employment Rights Bill (supplementary) 14 August 2025 Consent recommended Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: 25-46 12Assisted Dying Review Panels in the Westminster Bill The UK Parliament's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: dying legislation_____________________________________________________________5 Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Legislative Consent Motion

Found: October 2025 The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memoranda on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: and Social Care Committee Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: Committee’s report on the Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Found: The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memoranda on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill