Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie and Baroness Berger

Committee stage
Friday 23rd January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Con)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her intervention. I think both would help us, because there is confusion about the future of support for palliative care, and confusion as to whether the funding of an assisted dying service will take away from other services within the current NHS provision.

Finally, I just want to say that it is very different from the Scottish Bill, which very specifically does say that it will be within the NHS.

[Baroness Berger (Lab)]

It may aid the Committee to know that, before Christmas, the Minister in the other place indicated via a Statement that the Government were currently developing a palliative and end-of-life care modern service framework for England, and that it is planned publication date was the spring of this year. In that context, I hope that the Government and the Minister here will hear the calls from people—both those who support the Bill and those who do not—that it would be very helpful to us all in the deliberations on this Bill if the framework, its details and funding were provided to this House as soon as possible.