Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Merron Excerpts

Friday 24th April 2026 Lords Chamber

I am not going to detain the House further— I wanted to give a speech of five to six minutes—but I hope that both the Minister and the noble and learned Lord, the sponsor, will take what I have said from this Front Bench in the constructive way that it is meant, and that they and others will consider carefully how the Bill has progressed and not progressed before taking any further steps in the coming Session.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, as noble Lords are very aware, the Government remain neutral on the Bill and on the principle of assisted dying. This is a Private Member’s Bill, not government legislation. On issues of societal change, as we have discussed, Private Members’ Bills have long been a vehicle to handle matters of sensitivity and important matters of conscience, as in this case.

As I made clear during my remarks at Second Reading and throughout Committee, my role, alongside that of my noble friend Lady Levitt, has been to help to ensure that, if passed, the Bill would be technically and legally workable. Sixteen sitting Fridays were allocated for debate on the Bill and, as my noble friend the Chief Whip has said consistently, it was for the sponsor of the Bill and your Lordships’ House to determine how to use that time.

We know that assisted dying is an emotive topic, and we recognise that there are deeply held views on all sides of the debate. We have spent many hours debating this important matter and, while noble Lords across the House have often differed on matters of principle and policy, I believe that there is a desire in the House to do the best for people at the end of their lives, at their most vulnerable.

[Baroness Coffey (Con)]

My Lords, this has been a really helpful debate. I am quite sad that we did not get to Committee at all, but never mind. I am conscious that we are in a Session where eight Private Members’ Bills have become Acts of Parliament, and I place on record my thanks to the Ministers, in particular the noble Baroness, Lady Blake of Leeds, who has often stepped in for Ministers. I am grateful to her for that.

According to information provided by the House of Lords to me—it could give me information covering only to the end of February—651 Peers have turned up on one of the Fridays we have spent considering this Bill, 87 of us have turned up for every single Friday and 16 of them have spoken today. Some 516 Peers attended at least one day at Second Reading, while 327 turned up for both. There has certainly been interest in this Bill but, I am sure and appreciate, there have also been frustrations on both sides that we could not make more progress in that time, particularly during the 13 days in Committee—recognising that the House did not go into Committee today.

One of the things that it is important to consider is how we address things more quickly. I do not just mean looking at the brevity of speeches. In fact, on the first day in Committee, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, thanked me for the brevity of my speech. We need to see how we can more quickly address things such as DPRRC reports, particularly when we debate Private Members’ Bills. I am conscious that the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, referred to several things in that report, and I know that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, has acted on some of them—although perhaps not to the committee’s satisfaction. However, in the committee’s second report, there remain three clauses that it felt should be removed from the Bill. The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, the noble Lords, Lord Goodman and Lord Rooker, and I had done quite a lot of work trying to address the DPRRC’s recommendations, including coming up with potential for others in that regard.

There has been only one point today when I thought Standing Order 31 might need to be invoked. We should reflect that we have been able to do this, even when it has got a bit tense. I assure the House that I have been working on spreadsheets and trying to get more groups together to try to get through this. I have actually been surprised that we have not got through that many groups on a Friday when I have been encouraging people to make progress, because I believe it is important we do so. As I say, however, I have no doubt that a lot of this has been done with great sincerity. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.