ASSISTED DYING VOTE DELAYED BY THREE WEEKS – To give MPs time to consider changes

The next vote on legislation to introduce assisted dying in England and Wales has been delayed by three weeks to give MPs on all sides more time to consider its changes, the MP leading the issue has said.

The bill, which has undergone a significant number of changes since the initial vote in November, will now return to the Commons on 16 May, instead of 25 April, for its report stage and votes if time allows.

In a letter to parliamentary colleagues the day before Easter recess begins, Kim Leadbeater said she was “absolutely confident” that postponing the vote would not delay the bill’s passage towards royal assent.

Labour MPs opposed to the legislation had raised concerns with the timing of the vote, fearing their colleagues would not have enough time to consider the bill’s changes during their final week of local election campaigning.

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he still planned to oppose the legislation. Asked if he would vote for it, Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “No, I won’t be voting for it, but I do welcome the constructive approach that Kim Leadbeater has taken.”

The government is neutral on the question, and MPs are invited to vote according to their conscience.

Since the initial vote, the high court’s role in approving assisted deaths has been scrapped and replaced by a panel of experts. Additionally, the implementation period has been doubled to a maximum of four years for an assisted dying service to be in place.