On Friday 29 November, Kim Leadbeater MP’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its Second Reading. It has now been committed to a Public Bill Committee to examine the Bill and its provisions in detail.

Whilst the Second Reading debate focused on the principles engaged by the Bill, the Committee Stage is concerned with the detail of the Bill as drafted. Twenty three MPs have been appointed, with a remit to undertake this task. The Committee will hear oral evidence and subsequently examine the text of the Bill line by line, with the opportunity to move amendments to the Bill.

The MPs sitting on the Committee, which will be Chaired by Kim Leadbeater MP as the sponsor of the Bill, will be asking themselves key questions such as how the provisions of the Bill will work in practice? Does the Bill do or accomplish what supporters of the Bill claim? Will the resulting law be clear and intelligible? Does the Bill afford adequate protection of human rights? And for this Bill in particular: will any resulting law adequately safeguard those who are or may become vulnerable?

Whilst CARE remains firmly opposed to this Bill and to assisted suicide in principle (you can read more here), it is important to take the opportunity the Committee Stage provides to ensure MPs are confronted with the reality of what the Bill would entail, if it became law.

On Monday 6 January, a call for written evidence was issued by the Public Bill Committee, seeking input from people with “relevant experience” in relation to the Committee’s consideration of the Bill. This is an important and vital opportunity to ensure the members of the Committee are able to hear learned, expert testimony which helps them to understand the flaws and limitations of the Bill and why it should not become law.

If you have experience in any of the following fields, please consider making a submission to the Committee’s call for evidence:

• You are a medical professional – in training, practising, or retired. You may have general views on the impact on the medical profession both in the immediate or longer term, or have particular experience to bring to bear as a result of your specialism or field of expertise

• You are a carer, which is to say someone who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without support.

• You are a legal professional and therefore understand the operation of the law in practice

• You are living with a terminal condition or diagnosis

• You are living with a chronic condition or diagnosis

• You are an academic with working experience of issues raised by the Bill – e.g. ethical considerations, experience of jurisdictions where end of life legislation has been considered, etc

• You are disabled or consider yourself to be frail, elderly or in some other way vulnerable – perhaps due to financial pressures or an inability to access care

The Public Bill Committee notes that submissions “should address matters contained within the Bill and concentrate on issues where you have expertise and on factual information of which you would like the Committee to be aware.”

The invitation from the Committee goes on to suggest that submissions could “highlight or discuss views on or concerns with the existing provisions of the Bill; suggest amendments to the Bill, with supporting explanation; and (when amendments are published) support or oppose amendments tabled to the Bill by Members of Parliament, with supporting explanation.”

Please consider the following guidance when compiling your submission:

Practical information:

• You are limited to 2,000 words as a guideline by the Committee and should structure your submission with numbered paragraphs, being sure to include an introduction of yourself or your organisation, as well as a summary of your key points.

• You should be aware that your submission is likely to be published online, and that you should explain your reasoning if you do not wish your submission to be published.

• No formal deadline has been specified. However, with Committee sessions beginning before the end of January, and in order for written evidence to have the best opportunity to impact the thinking and preparations of Committee members, we strongly recommend submissions are made by Friday 24 January at the latest.

• Your submission should be sent to tiabill@parliament.uk with a note in your covering email of your name, address, telephone number and email address.

General guidance on what to communicate:

• This is not a consultation, but rather a call for evidence, so please focus on commenting on aspects of the Bill where your personal circumstances, expertise or experience have a particular bearing. It is not necessary to comment on the Bill as a whole.

• Please remember to use your own words, as opposed to material you have read elsewhere – including CARE material, avoid hyperbolic r overly emotive language, and aim to speak truth in love ((cf. Eph 4:15)

• In your tone and approach, please endeavour to stick to factual comments, evidence and bringing the weight of your professional expertise to bear.

• Please be focused and specific in commenting on the workability, drafting, provisions and impact of the Bill or particular sections as drafted.

You may be particularly well placed to comment on aspects of the Bill such as:

• The challenge of accurately or exactly determining diagnosis and prognosis

• The difficulty – even for experts – of assessing for capacity, coercion or pressure

• The challenge of limiting the eligibility of the Bill so as to exclude certain groups of people suffering significantly currently, and the challenge of preventing expansion of the law

• The pressure the court system is currently under, the capacity to incorporate a new court-approval process, and the inadequacy of that process under the Bill

• The impact of provision of assistance on the doctor-patient relationship and the wider medical profession

• The importance of palliative care assessments for anyone who might consider availing themselves of an assisted suicide

• The impact on vulnerable and marginalised groups in society (including those who are disabled, elderly, frail, impoverished) of legislation which would provide a state-sanctioned and funded means of assisted suicide, when many already struggle to access adequate care

You can access the Bill Committee Call for Evidence here.