HoylecalledKim Leadbeater, theLabourMP who has introduced the bill, to open the debate.
Leadbeaterstarted with some general points about the changes to the bill in committee, but Hoyle intervened and asked her to speak specifically about the amendments.
The Labour MPsJess Asatointervened to ask Leadbeater if she would disassociate herself from what she said was Esther Rantzen’s “distasteful and disrespectful” about opponents of the bill being motivated by undeclared religious beliefs. (See9.20am.)
Leadbeaterclaimed that she had not seen those comments. But she said that it was important that, whatever people’s views in this debate, “we must remain respectful”.
Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, started by saying he was minded to call (ie, put to a vote) Kim Leadbeater’s new clause 10 (NC10). If that is passed, he said he would call Rebecca Paul’s NC10(a), an amendment to NC10.
He said there are more than 90 MPs who want to speak. He said during private member’s bill debate time timits on speeches do not normally get imposed, but he urged MPs to keep speeches to within 15 minutes to begin with. That guidance might change later, he said.
The debate is starting.
At the start an MP moved a motion that the house sit in private. During debates on private member’s bills, opponents of bill sometimes use this procedure (which triggers a vote which, if passed, means MPs continue sitting with the public and press excluded) because it holds up proceedings, and because it establishes how many MPs are in parliament to vote. Because this has become such an established wrecking procedure, supporters of bills now move that the house sits in private at the start of debates because, when that has been tried once during proceedings, it cannot be tried again.
Lindsay Hoyle,the Speaker, took the vote by acclamation. Overwhelmingly MPs shouted no (ie, they were opposed to sitting in private), and so there was no divison. The proceedings moved on.
Good morning. Today MPs will spend five hours debating the assisted dying bill, or the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill, to give it its proper title. The legislation, which covers England and Wales, was passed at second reading in November by 330 votes to 275 – a majority of 55. That does not mean it will definitely become law, because the third reading vote in the Commons will not take place until next month. But, although a few MPs have changed their minds, there is no evidence that opponents of the bill are now close to having a majority.
After the debate in November, the bill went to a committee where MPs debated around 500 amendments to it, and voted in favour of about 150 of them. That means the legislation on the table today is not the same as the bill debated last year. The Commons library has produceda good briefing paperwith a guide to the main changes. There is a 179-page documentherelisting all the amendments that were agreed. Here isthe text of the billas amended.
Now the bill is back in the Commons chamber all MPs can submit amendments and dozens of them have been tabled. You can read them allhere. The Speaker has decided to group the amendments, so amendments that cover the same topics get debated at the same time, and the grouping list, with the selection of lead amendments (the ones most likely to be put to a vote) ishere.
Today MPs will be debating the amendments in group one, covering “obligations, duties and protections for medical practitioners, hospices and care homes, the procedure for receiving assistance under the Act including safeguards and protections, eligibility and mental capacity”.
We are expecting some votes this afternoon but nothing that would sabotage the bill. From what gets said, we may get a slightly better indication as to how likely the bill is to pass at third reading but the crucial votes are coming on another day. Today won’t decide the future of what is widely seen as a landmark piece of legislation that would change the law in this country fundamentally. But it will provide some sort of progress report on how it is doing.
As the Guardian reports,Esther Rantzenhas urged all MPsin an open letterto back Kim Leadbeater’s “strong, safe, carefully considered” private member’s bill ahead of today’s debate.
But Rantzen’s letter says some opponents of the bill are motivated by “undeclared personal religious beliefs which mean no precautions would satisfy them”, and this has angered some MPs who voted against it at second reading.
The Labour MPsJess Asatoposted this comment about the letteron social media.
Asato’s tweet was reposted byWes Streeting, the health secretary, who liked Asato is also opposed to the bill.
We will be covering the debate in detail today, but there is other politics happening too. Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am:MPs start their debate on the assisted dying bill. It will run until 2.30pm.
9.45am:Keir Starmeris due to arrive at the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania. He is giving a speech in the morning session, and also holding bilateral meetings with fellow European leaders. After the summit wraps up, he is due to brief the media.
Lunchtime:Kemi Badenoch speaks at the Welsh Conservative conference in north Wales.
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