Speeches by Tidball.

“Q My next question is to Fazilet Hadi and Baroness Falkner. First, I am passionate about ensuring that the Bill creates the opportunity to hear the voices of disabled people in monitoring the impact of its implementation, should it be passed by Parliament, and the treatment of disabled people in the NHS as a result. Wh…”

“Q You have helpfully acknowledged the link that we need to make on coercion to strengthen this, but on the other two elements—dishonesty and pressure—is there anything else that we need to look to in order to make this more robust? Sir Max Hill: “Dishonesty” is a term of art in common use, but it is also a term of stat…”

“Q I want to follow up, because this is really important in strengthening the Bill. Based on your prosecutorial experience, what key elements should be present in the definitions of coercion, pressure and dishonesty? I also have a bit of a technical question, if I may. Do you think they would be better placed in clause …”

“Q Professor Ranger, may I pick up on the points that Glyn Berry made about the different circumstances in which patients find themselves? The barriers to healthcare as a result of health inequalities, access to education and disability are well documented. How could your members help to remove the barriers for such gro…”

“Q But you believe that your members would be able to pick up on and identify issues such as coercion? Professor Ranger: I do. They are professionals, and I believe they would be able to.”

“Q You talked about the role of medical practitioners discussing this issue, which is of course in clause 4(2) of the Bill. Paragraph 4.2 in your own evidence was very helpful in discussing that, as it makes it clear that it is “entirely consistent with current medical practice and with compassionate care” to raise assi…”

“Q On the basis of your 39 years of experience and the Select Committee evidence that I mentioned earlier, do you acknowledge that improvements on both assisted dying and palliative care can run in parallel and do not need to be mutually exclusive? Dr Ahmedzai: In the interests of brevity, yes.”

“I have two follow-up questions on that basis.”

“Q My question is for Dr Ahmedzai. The Select Committee inquiry into assisted dying received evidence that there were not any indications of palliative or end-of-life care deteriorating in quality or provision following the introduction of assisted dying. Indeed, the introduction of it has been linked with an improvemen…”

“Q Just to follow up on that, because it is really important: do you think your members would have the ability to pick up on such coercion, dishonesty and pressure from other parties potentially being placed on a patient who is seeking assisted dying? What other training or support would be needed for your members? Prof…”

“I note that Laura Hoyano, who is giving evidence on Thursday, is a domestic abuse barrister. She has also been involved in inquiries on child sexual abuse, and has a great range of experience in that area. She will bring that to the table as a practising barrister working closely on such cases.”

“I, too, support my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley and in particular I want to highlight the helpful addition of Kamran Mallick of Disability Rights UK. That augments an already comprehensive list of expert disabled people, which includes: Professor Tom Shakespeare, an internationally renowned disability rights …”

“Q I have a question for Sir Max Hill and Alex Ruck Keene. Your insight on clause 12 has been helpful. What procedures would you recommend be adopted for testing and, if need be, challenging the evidence as part of an evidentiary process linked to the panel that you set out? Alex Ruck Keene: This is, for the moment, pre…”

“That is very helpful; thank you.”

“Q To pick up on your important point about advocacy, how would your members detect coercion, undue pressure or dishonesty by family members or other supporting parties on which the patient was relying in relation to seeking assisted dying? At what point would there be a report to the police by your members? Professor R…”

“Q It is extremely helpful to understand the opportunity for scrutiny before death. Building on that point, are there any safeguards around those practices that are not currently included in the Bill but should be, particularly around detecting coercion and exploring alternative care options? I also have one follow-up q…”

“Two weeks ago, my constituency was hit by the worst snow in 15 years, leaving vulnerable and older residents, schools and GP surgeries blocked in by the snow. I commend the Barnsley council team, who were out 24 hours a day, eight days a week solid, but because resources are stretched, their gritters can cover only the…”

“I do agree, and those factors have a cumulative, additive effect on those young people, silencing their voices even more so than those of other victims. That is one of the reasons why the harm report was clear that “the presumption should not remain in its present form” and recommended that it be reviewed “urgently in …”

“I do agree, and I thank my hon. Friend for her powerful statement. That is why we must urgently spell this issue out in primary legislation, alongside having a more tightly drawn definition of domestic abuse towards children in section 3 of the 2021 Act. Over four years have passed since the UK Government launched a re…”

“I agree, and nowhere is that clearer than in the cases of my constituent’s sons, Jack and Paul. Not only was their father known to be abusive, but the boys did not want to see him—all while he was demanding 50:50 contact in the family courts. Claire promised her sons that she would not rest until the law was changed to…”