Health Minister Karin Smyth says she's wanted assisted dying law to change 'for a very long time'

• Assisted dying: 'It's the law that I've wanted to change for a very long time', says Karin Smyth

Health Minister and Bristol South MP Karin Smyth says she has wanted to change the law on assisted dying "for a very long time", as MPs prepare to debate and vote on the issue this week.

Ms Smyth's intention to vote in favour of the bill differs from her boss, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has expressed concern about the impact on hospice care if assisted dying is legalised.

"On a personal basis, it's the law that I've wanted to change for a very long time and I've led much of that debate in parliament," the MP and minister told ITV News West Country.

"The government will obviously do whatever parliament decides, it's a really important decision for all MPs... it's a really important issue, and that's why this is the right way to do it, it has always been a private members' bill that has looked at these sorts of issues and I look forward to a good debate on Friday."

Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Bristol North West MP Darren Jones doesn't agree that a private members' bill is the right way to change a law on such a complex issue.

He told The West Country Debate: "I've always thought that a private members' bill, which by their very design are meant to be small and technical, is not the right device for something as important as this.

"It's right that we have this debate if MPs want to have it," he said, but added: "I don't support it and I won't be voting for the private members' bill. The key question for me on abstention or voting against is whether I feel strongly enough against it to clear my constituency Friday diary to be in London and lose a day in the constituency or not."

Private members' bills (PMBs) are introduced by MPs who aren't government ministers, and they give backbench politicians an opportunity to pass their own legislation.

Some PMBs are drafted by government departments and given out to backbench MPs who are successful in the ballot at the start of a new parliamentary term.

Under the new Bill, there would be several requirements for an individual to be eligible. The person must be aged 18 or older and registered with a GP for at least 12 months.

They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life, be expected to die within six months, and make two separate declarations of their wish to die.

The process must involve two independent doctors being satisfied the person is eligible and a High Court judge must hear from at least one of the doctors regarding the application.

The majority of MPs in the West Country support assisted dying and plan to vote in favour of a law change on Friday, including North Somerset's Labour MP Sadik Al-Hassan and Stroud's Labour MP Dr Simon Opher.

South Devon's Liberal Democrat MP, Caroline Voaden, and Glastonbury and Somerton's Sarah Dyke are also in favour of the law changing to allow assisted dying.

Conservatives John Glen and Danny Kruger are opposing the PMB, with both voting against it the last time MPs had the opportunity in 2015. Many remain undecided, especially new MPs.

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