Speeches by Olney.

“Q Dr Griffiths, do you think it is possible that disabled people are likely to be or potentially more at risk of being coerced or otherwise persuaded to seek assisted dying as a result of the Bill? Dr Griffiths: I think so—I think the coercion principles outlined in the Bill are incredibly weak in terms of the scrutini…”

“In November 2020, when giving evidence to the Treasury Committee, the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, stated that further investment in infrastructure such as extending airport capacity would not deliver high economic returns as the UK is already highly connected. Without a proposal on the…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There are so many vacancies across our hospitality and tourism sectors, and a youth mobility scheme could be instrumental in helping us to fill them.”

“Q There is no evidence that it reduces it, so it continues at the same rate: it does not increase, and it does not reduce. Is that what you are saying? Professor House: Well, it increases, but there are so many factors. I will give you one example. Oregon has been widely cited as a model for this sort of thing, althoug…”

“I will give way first to my hon. Friend and then to the hon. Gentleman.”

“Q Professor House, concerns have been expressed in written evidence that an assisted dying Bill of this sort is incompatible with wider policy around reducing suicide or suicide prevention measures. Do you think that it is possible to implement effective policies to reduce suicide rates, while having an assisted dying …”

“Q Baroness Falkner, do you consider that in its current form the Bill upholds the rights of all the different groups whose rights are protected under the Equality Act 2010? Baroness Falkner: Several human rights are engaged in the Bill: article 2 has been discussed; article 3 relates to inhumane and degrading treatment…”

“Q Can you give me an example of one of your reservations? Baroness Falkner: Yes. For example, you have just been discussing capacity, and capacity is a very serious consideration in our concern. You have been discussing coercion as well. There is evidence—coming back to the UN report I mentioned a few minutes ago—that …”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of a youth mobility scheme between the EU and the UK. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. The Government have committed to resetting our relationship with the EU, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary are actively engag…”

“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his very nice words. I totally understand the issues around the specific circumstances in Northern Ireland; all I would say is that instituting a youth mobility scheme would go a long way to improving relations with the EU, and I think it would unlock some of the other issues we are exper…”

“I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, although I am not sure what she means by the first album. We are talking about a comprehensive agreement. The EU has already indicated that it would be willing to discuss, and of course we should not enter agreements that are not to our advantage. As the Government know, a yo…”

“Q Thank you, Mr Dowd. I have a quick question for Dr Cox. Earlier on, in the context of multidisciplinary teams, you mentioned how important the family of the patient is. There is currently no role in the Bill, as it is currently drafted, for the next of kin or for any family member. Do you think that is a mistake? Is …”

“indicated assent.”

“indicated dissent.”

“On a point of order, Mr Dowd. I had my hand up at the beginning. I was really keen to ask a question in this session because it is pertinent to an amendment that I have tabled. Could you advise how best I can have the opportunity to ask my question?”

“The economic benefits of the expansion of London airports remain unproven. On Heathrow, the Department for Transport’s updated appraisal report shows that the net present value of a third runway ranges from just £3.3 billion to minus £2.2 billion, while Heathrow’s finances are of severe concern, due to the significant …”

“Q Leading on from Dr Opher’s question about the “must refer” clause, you and Professor Whitty both stress the importance of the relationship between the doctor and the patient, yet there may be doctors who feel very strongly against mentioning assisted dying. Given the existence of clause 4(5) and the “must refer”, do …”

“Q Professor Whitty, the definition of “terminal illness” is attracting some attention. Some people say it is difficult to define a terminal illness. Would it improve the Bill if we had a specified list of illnesses that would apply? Is it possible to come up with a list of illnesses that are terminal that would qualify…”

“Q Can you talk a little bit more about whether you perceive any difficulties in having a definition of terminal illness in the Act? How do you think the medical profession will interpret that? Professor Whitty: At the extremes —most people are at the extremes—it is very clear what is going to happen. For most people, y…”

“Mr Gribbin, one of the issues identified by the report was the fact that, because places were needed so urgently, that, in itself, contributed to costs increasing, for example through needing to pay a larger margin to contractors to accept higher levels of risk. Do you have a sense of what additional costs you have inc…”