Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Lord Birt Excerpts

Friday 5th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Birt (CB)]

I just want to ask: does the noble Lord think that we should try to reach the 10th group of amendments in the course of today?

[Lord Harper (Con)]

I am trying to make a brief remark. I have been speaking for only one minute and 45 seconds; if I keep getting interrupted, I will not be able to sit down. I was going to make literally one more point, having listened to the debate. After all, this is supposed to be a debate where we listen to what noble Lords say and respond—

[Lord Birt (CB)]

Could the noble Lord please answer my question: should we try to reach the 10th group of amendments today?

[Lord Harper (Con)]

I want to try to make progress, which is why I was trying to keep my remarks very brief; if the noble Lord keeps interrupting me, they will necessarily take longer. All I was going to do was make one further point.

I was very struck by what the noble Baroness, Lady Berridge, said about the differences in the medical prognosis for a number of conditions among younger people. I suggest to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, that as well as looking at the assessment process, he should look at the extent to which clinical advice and evidence can be brought in to see whether a terminal diagnosis for a younger person is qualitatively different; from listening to the noble Baroness, Lady Berridge, that appears to be the case. That may be the appropriate way to pick up the concerns, which are widely shared. But I also accept—the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, made this point—that the law has to have some clarity to it. Like the noble Baroness, I think that having lots of different ages would be very difficult.

From listening to the points made by the noble Baroness, Lady Berridge, I think that may be a way forward; I commend it to the noble and learned Lord when he undertakes his thought process for what he may bring forward on Report.