Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Baroness Morris of Bolton Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 12th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Morris of Bolton (Con)]

My Lords, it is 19 years since I first spoke in your Lordships’ House on the hugely emotive topic of assisted dying. My view then, that however well-intentioned legislation may be, the safeguards just are not good enough, has not changed in the intervening years and debates. If anything, my concern for the vulnerable and the frightened has increased, but I also recognise that, over these years, opinions have changed, often due to distressing family experiences. I understand the strength and feeling of those here today and throughout the country who support the Bill but, as the noble Lord, Lord Carlile of Berriew, so rightly said: this Bill is not adequate.

However well intentioned, a promise made in a general election campaign, delivered through a Private Member’s Bill, with all its constraints and time limits, is not the way to fundamentally change the compact between government and the people. The report of the Constitution Committee completely captures where I stand on the Bill. A Private Member’s Bill simply cannot undergo the same scrutiny as a government Bill. As that committee says:

“This is especially concerning given the subject matter of the Bill”.


I also agree with the committee’s advocacy for parliamentary pre-legislative scrutiny. If ever there were such a need, it is for this Bill. Any legislation that so profoundly changes the norms of society should be undertaken only after seeking the widest views. That is why I do not think my noble friend Lord Forsyth’s amendment will make this a Bill fit for the statute book, however many hours we debate it. We do not need more time to listen to ourselves; we need more time to listen to the voices of others. We have a chance to do that with the amendment in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Berger, which I will support.

To all those who have written to me, either for or against the Bill, I say a huge thank you for sharing your stories. We heard from the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, the harrowing story of Tom’s death from bile duct cancer. Yet choosing when to die does not guarantee a gentle end. In 2015, I raised the issue of a handful of people who had woken up from the drugs administered—it is now nine in Oregon—none of whom asked to repeat the experience. With the drugs taken now as tablets, it is not just one tablet; you have to swallow something like 100. I thank those who have written to express their concerns around the issues of complicated grief, which haunts many relatives of those who have chosen assisted suicide and about which we hear too little.

In almost all the letters I received, there was a desire to address the fear and reality of dying in pain, which exists. As we have heard so eloquently expressed around the House, any discussion of assisted dying must go hand in hand with the provision of, and access to, the very best palliative care. If we could achieve that, we really would be fulfilling this Bill’s stated purpose of giving those who are already dying a choice over the manner of their death. But, as things stand, I wholeheartedly agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, that this Bill is not fit for purpose.

Domestic Abuse: Victims and Survivors

Baroness Morris of Bolton Excerpts

Thursday 12th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Morris of Bolton (Con)]

My Lords, it gives me the greatest pleasure to support my noble friend Lady Chisholm of Owlpen today. I thank her for her powerful opening speech and for giving us the chance to debate this most important and deeply concerning topic. My noble friend mentioned Her Majesty the Queen’s documentary on domestic violence, “Behind Closed Doors”, which was moving and compassionate but often uncomfortable and chilling viewing. It should make us all look for the best and most immediate ways to break this evil cycle.

In Bolton, we are blessed with a wonderful refuge, Fortalice, which opened its doors 47 years ago to women and children to keep them safe from domestic abuse and violence. Over the years, it has grown to offer not just a refuge but 22 services within the community, including a children and young people’s hub. It delivers programmes and early intervention aimed at breaking the cycle of abuse and helping children work through the trauma they have suffered.

Started by a group of friends, Fortalice is now led by two equally inspiring and determined women: the CEO, Gill Smallwood, and chair, Diane Hawkins, who is the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester. Under their leadership, and supported by a team of dedicated staff, Fortalice has gone from strength to strength. Gill has always believed that we need to look after victims at a local level. When she first arrived at Fortalice, 13 years ago, she saw that there was a huge gap in some working partnerships. She duly forged a partnership with the police, which meant victims were reached as early as possible because help was in the right place, at the right time. Through this essential early intervention programme, the police came to value its work, which was also educational, especially when dealing with an area where violence may not be immediately obvious and is often not taken as seriously as it should be.

Attempts to scale this up to a regional level lost that essential local element; when you lose that, victims too get lost. Local commissioning reduces trauma for the whole family, especially where children are involved, because local services understand the needs of their communities and can react in a timely way, especially with rising demand and complex needs.

Last year, the office of the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester asked Fortalice to run a local pilot partnership with the police, similar to the original programme. Built on highly trained volunteers drawn from all walks of life, including former police officers, teachers, counsellors, students and survivors of domestic violence, they go out on appointments with the police, meaning that once again the right people are in the right place, at the right time, with the right skills. They provide a lifeline of protection and support, and a rebuilding of self-esteem and trust, which domestic abuse in all its forms so cruelly erodes. We are rightly proud of all they do. I pay tribute to all who work in this distressing but vital area.