Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Pannick

Committee stage
Friday 5th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we have completed three groups of amendments, which is fewer than I had hoped for when I spoke in the House this morning. All noble Lords need to reflect on that before we resume consideration of the Bill next Friday.

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

Before the noble Lord adjourns proceedings, can I ask him whether he would give anxious consideration to how we are going to complete Committee on this enormously important Bill, which this House may well want to amend and may well wish to disagree with at Third Reading? It is surely essential that this House is provided with the time that enables us to do our job, because if we do not do our job, it will be enormously damaging to the reputation of this House. Is there any way in which he can give thought to this over the next few days?

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

I am very happy to give thought to that. When I came to this Dispatch Box a couple of weeks ago and announced the extra days, I hoped that that would assist the House, but at this rate of progress I think we may still struggle. I am very happy to consider that. My door remains open to anybody for whom I can give assistance on that. The point that I keep making is that, at the end of the day, this is a Private Member’s Bill and the Government remain neutral on the Bill itself.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Pannick

Committee stage
Friday 14th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, as it is nearly 2.30 pm, it might be helpful to the Committee to know that, when my noble friend Lady Merron has responded for the Government Front Bench and my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer has responded, I intend to invite the House to resume; that will bring today’s debate to a close. That is my intention but, obviously, it is a matter for the Committee to decide what it wants to do.

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

Can the noble Lord give some guidance on the issue of timing? As has just been indicated, if it were not obvious before this morning, it is now perfectly obvious that four days is not going to be enough for the Committee stage of this Bill. There is unanimity that this is an exceptionally important Bill and that this House has to carry out its constitutional function of scrutinising it. It would be enormously damaging to the reputation of this House if, because of timing, we were unable to do that task. Will the Government make government time available?

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

I thank the noble Lord for that point. As I said at the start, the Government remain neutral and will not be providing government time for this Bill. Obviously, we will look at things when we get to the end of our four days in Committee. I will then work with the usual channels to see what other time can be made available from non-government time, but we will have to see whether we will move on over the next few days.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Draft Updated Code of Practice

Debate between Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Pannick

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

We will hear from the Cross Benches.

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

Does the Minister agree that, today, it is the obligation of all persons, whether private or public, to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court, whether they agree with it or not, and without waiting for guidance?

Gaza: Ceasefire

Debate between Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Pannick

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

We will hear from the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, next and then from my noble friend Lord Grocott.

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the tragedy of Gaza is going to continue until Hamas is removed from power? Can he explain what he wants to say on this subject to Ayelet Epstein, who is watching these proceedings and whose son Netta was murdered by Hamas on 7 October when he successfully shielded his fiancée from a grenade?