New Health Minister criticises assisted suicide law

The laws on assisted suicide have been criticised as "ridiculous" by a newly-promoted Health Minister.

Anna Soubry, who was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department of Health in this week's reshuffle, called for greater "honesty" about when prosecutions would be brought for helping relatives to die and that the legislation needed to "evolve".

Her comments come after locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson died a week after he lost his legal bid to end his life with a doctor's help.

Ms Soubry said she was ambivalent about that case, and that a doctor should not be required to kill somebody.