The MP for North Shropshire has said that the issue of assisted dying is “complex” as Parliament prepares to debate a Bill on the matter later this month.  

After the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was published on Tuesday, November 13, ahead of a planned debate in parliament scheduled for November 29, Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has said the context around the bill will make the debate a “difficult decision for MPs”.

The Bill proposes that adults with a terminal illness who are expected to die within six months be eligible for an assisted death, providing that two doctors and a High Court judge have verified that they are eligible and have made their decision voluntarily.

Commenting on the Bill, MP Helen Morgan said that she was inclined to support the “right to allow people to die with dignity” but noted the “complex” context around the debate.

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She said: "Whilst my inclination is to support the right to allow people to die with dignity, the context of a failing health and care system makes the debate much more complex, and a more difficult decision for MPs.

“The vital point here is that MPs need to properly scrutinise the full detail and see that appropriate safeguards are in place before the law is changed.

"It is important that we see reassurances that the strict criteria laid out in the Bill will work in practice."

The Bill, introduced on Monday, is just beginning its legislative journey, with more scrutiny and debate likely to follow over the coming months as it is set to be debated in Parliament towards the end of November.

Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the proposal, said upon the Bill’s publication that “the law needs to change”.

She said via social media: “The law as it stands is not fit for purpose. After wide ranging consultation and a very thorough drafting process here is the ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’.

“Thank you to the many people who have contacted me about this hugely important issue, who have shared their very personal stories of loss which clearly show that the law needs to change.”

British MPs last voted on whether to legalise assisted dying in 2015, with the issue being rejected at the time by a vote of 330 to 118.