Assisted dying: Committee of 20 MPs nominated to debate controversial bill

The MPs who will scrutinise the controversial Assisted Dying Bill have met for the first timeas ITV News' UK Editor Paul Brand reports

The committee which will scrutinise the Assisted Dying Bill during its next phase in parliament has been appointed.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will be joined by 22 colleagues, who'll go through her bill line by line to hammer out the details.

Last month, MPs voted in favour of assisted dying by a majority of 55 at its first hurdle.

But some of those who backed the bill said they wanted further assurances before a final vote next spring.

The committee's work will influence whether or not MPs feel safeguards protecting vulnerable people from coercion are sufficient enough.

It will include Palliative Care Minister Stephen Kinnock and Justice Minister Sarah Sackman.

The committee will meet for the first time on December 11 to examine and debate the bill.

Who is on the committee and did they vote for or against the bill?

  • Bambos Charalambos, Labour: For

  • Marie Tidball, Labour: For

  • Dr Simon Opher, Labour: For

  • Jake Richards, Labour: For

  • Rachel Hopkins, Labour: For

  • Lewis Atkinson, Labour: For

  • Naz Shah, Labour: Against

  • Juliet Campbell, Labour: Against

  • Danny Francis, Labour: Against

  • Sojan Joseph, Labour: Against

  • Jack Abbott, Labour: Against

  • Sean Woodcock, Labour: Against

  • Kit Malthouse, Conservative: For

  • Neil Shastri-Hurst, Conservative: For

  • Danny Kruger, Conservative: Against

  • Rebecca Paul, Conservative: Against

  • Tom Gordon, Lib Dem: For

  • Sarah Green, Lib Dem: For

  • Sarah Olney, Lib Dem: Against

  • Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid Cymru: For

The split of 11 backbenchers who voted for and nine who voted against (55% to 45%) is almost exactly the ratio of how members voted in November, which was 54% for to 46% against.

The way in which MPs have previously voted does not necessarily mean that they will continue to support the bill, however.

During the parliamentary debate in November, some MPs indicated their support for the bill might not continue at a further vote, if they are not convinced of safeguards around potential coercion.

Ms Leadbeater said the committee reflects both the range of views expressed in the debate and the party make-up of the House of Commons.

She said: “The Bill committee will bring together colleagues with differing views and valuable experience in order to give the Bill the detailed scrutiny it deserves and requires.”

Kit Malthouse, the Conservative MP for North West Hampshire, has long been a supporter of the bill.

He told ITV News that the committee's purpose is "to really pull the legislation apart".

The main issues the committee will need to address, Mr Malthouse says, are the possibility of coercion, doctors initiating the conversation, and how end-of-life is administered.

Kit Malthouse says "coercion" is a big concern among MPs

He said the committee must "think carefully about whether the balance that the bill is striking, between freedom, choice and autonomy for the dying, and safeguards for others, has been struck".

Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Credit: PA

When the controversial bill was put before MPs in November, it secured the backing of 330 members of the Commons - a majority of 55.

Now it will be scrutinised by a public bill committee, where a select group of MPs will go through the bill line-by-line, scrutinising each clause and proposing amendments.

The bill will face further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meaning any change in the law would not be agreed until 2025 at the earliest.

Some MPs indicated during the debate last month that their support for the bill might not continue at a further vote if they are not convinced of the safeguards around coercion.

How did your MP vote?

To find out how your MP voted, type their first name or surname (not their full name together) or your constituency in the search bar below to find out.

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How would the law work?

The law would apply to adults in England and Wales, who are terminally ill and are expected to die within six months.

They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish – free from coercion or pressure.

Anyone seeking to end their life would need approval from two independent doctors, who will each carry out an assessment at least seven days apart, before deciding whether or not the person is eligible.

A High Court judge must hear from at least one of the doctors regarding the application and can also question the dying person as well as anyone else they consider appropriate.

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