Speeches by Atkinson.

“I suppose I am interested in your observations of the outcomes of citizens’ juries. I think we have all seen bits of polling, but that is not necessarily polling of individuals who have wrestled with these issues in a deliberative manner in the way that I understand citizens’ juries are designed to do. Dr Mullock: I wa…”

“Q Could I ask Dr Mullock another question? I was interested in what you said about your involvement with citizens’ juries, both here and elsewhere. As we as a Committee and Parliament are weighing up some of these issues, such as the points on autonomy and safeguards, where do you think the public settle on those when …”

“Q Widening my questions to Mr Robinson and Professor House, you talked a bit about capacity, and about coercion and the detection of it in life-or-death decisions, which clearly this would be. I am aware that there are those decisions every day in the NHS, around withdrawal of treatment and so on, but it strikes me tha…”

“Q To clarify, you asked to see them—that, presumably, would be good practice—but there is nothing in law that requires that on those decisions at the moment. Professor House: At the moment, no.”

“In contrast to the requirements that would be in this Bill, which would require that assessment to be made. Professor House: You are introducing the idea that this Bill has more safeguards in it than routine NHS practice does, are you? I think that is the point.”

“Yes, I am asking whether that is the case. Professor House: I think the problem with this Bill is what assessment it expects to be made that does not cover the ground that I have been talking about. It just asks, “Is this person able to make decisions?” Essentially, that is what the assessment boils down to, and it doe…”

“Q I have a question for Baroness Falkner. I want particularly to probe the socioeconomic duty. What is your assessment of that as it relates to agency and control at the end of life? My constituents in Sunderland, unfortunately, are on average notably less well off than the rest of the UK. Is it not the case that at th…”

“Q Dr Porter, we heard this morning from some colleagues from Australia, reflecting on assisted dying options five years after they was introduced there. I specifically asked them about the impact that had had on the palliative care sector and hospices. The Australian hospice body had done a review and said that there h…”

“No.”

“Q Mr Amin, given your expertise in representing these cases in the court, can I ask you for your view around the Mental Capacity Act issue regarding eating disorders and other disorders? Obviously, we have heard one version of that. Given your experience of working with UK law to the highest level, what is your assessm…”

“Q We have heard from two witnesses—you, Sir Nicholas, and Dr Ahmedzai from the earlier panel—on the question of judicial oversight. While we have you here, Sir Max and Mr Ruck Keene, what are your observations on the proposals from those two witnesses that an alternative to a High Court judge overseeing the process wou…”

“I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley. Having agreed to extend the time on Thursday to hear devolution issues and from the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, by adding two further witnesses, the amendment to the amendment would reduce the time available on th…”

“Q I think around 650 people with a terminal illness currently take their own lives a year. If we see a success with the Bill, I wonder whether there would be a reduction of that number going forward. Do you think that could be incorporated in monitoring going forward? Do you think there are opportunities to avoid that …”

“Q Clause 35 introduces a duty on the Secretary of State to report on a periodic basis to Parliament on the accessibility and quality of palliative care. As I understand it, that would be a new duty that we are pioneering. What is your reaction to that? Will it be helpful in continuing the momentum to make improvements …”

“indicated assent. Dr Green: With regard to the specific questions, no, I do not believe that a doctor has to be a specialist in the individual disease at stake to advise a patient about prognosis. I can only refer you back to what Dr Whitty said: that in the majority of cases, it is fairly clear—this applies to capacit…”

“Q I am going to try again. Some people advocate for a ban on this issue being discussed at all, which we have heard your answers on. A different version of that is a ban on any sense that doctors would recommend it as a course of action, in the way that an oncologist, say, might recommend a course of chemotherapy. Coul…”

“Sorry—I meant the provision of information for someone. Dr Green: The provision of information would be very useful, because in a situation where a doctor was unwilling to have an initial discussion with the patient, it would provide a way for the patient to get that information that was in no way obstructive.”

“Q Moving on to the next issue, you have both spoken fairly clearly about—or advocated against—having an absolute ban on doctors discussing or raising the issue. I want to tease out whether there is a difference between raising it and recommending it. Dr Green, you suggested that it might be appropriate for a doctor to …”

“Q I want to cover two areas. I will start with the current law. I am interested in the position that doctors are currently in, both regulatorily and around the current law. The Suicide Act 1961 and so on clearly prohibit this. A number of us have heard from families who have gone to Switzerland, and so on, and who have…”

“Q I have one follow-up on that. At the moment, we are aware that there are instances across the NHS every day where people make decisions around refusing the treatment that would be required to prolong their life. Doctors, nurses and the healthcare team would be involved in assessing capacity and coercion around those …”