Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Lord Young of Norwood Green Excerpts

Friday 20th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jay of Paddington (Lab)]

To add to what the noble Lord, Lord Stevens, said, I very much dislike the death notices, for example, which refer to people having put up a great fight or having failed to deal with the battle, or whatever expression is used, which suggests precisely what the noble Lord said—that they have somehow failed in a mortal combat.

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

My Lords, I only want to challenge the point that was made that the Bill suggests that six months is inevitable. It does not do that at all. In fact, all Clause 7 says is that if you go to the doctor, there will be a record of a preliminary discussion. It does not say anything else. Clause 8 refers to the initial request for assistance and first declaration. Where does the idea come from that the Bill somehow inevitably leads to a six-month progression? There is no such thing in it, other than the fact that the doctor is required by law to produce a written record of the preliminary discussion. In that preliminary discussion, he or she could raise a whole range of things, as we have heard from noble Baroness, Lady Cass, and a number of others.

[Lord Moylan (Con)]

We are all agreed that the reference to six months is to be found in Clause 2, where it says that

“an inevitably progressive illness or disease which cannot be reversed by treatment, and … the person’s death in consequence of that illness or disease can reasonably be expected within six months”.