MPs bar doctors from raising assisted dying with children

MPs have voted to prevent health professionals such as doctors from initiating conversations with under-18s about assisted dying, as they continued scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

The bill would only allow those over the age of 18, and with less than six months to live, to receive medical assistance to die in England and Wales.

Labour MP Meg Hillier, who tabled the amendment to the bill, had previously warned MPs to be alert to "the very real risk" of an assisted dying law being expanded to cover children and young people.

Her amendment was opposed by the bill's proposer Kim Leadbeater, but approved in the House of Commons by 259 votes to 216.

It marks the first time Leadbeater has been defeated on her bill in a vote in the House of Commons - although, there were defeats when the legislation was being considered at committee stage.

In a statement, a group of Labour MPs concerned about assisted dying said the result represented a "vote of no confidence in the bill and has shattered the claim that bill was the safest in the world".

A backer of the bill, Conservative Neil Shastri-Hurst, had previously argued against the proposal, warning it would leave a terminally ill young person "isolated, navigating a complex and deeply personal journey through the filter of online forums, rather than in dialogue with trusted, qualified professionals".

Hillier's other amendment seeking to stop health professionals from raising assisted dying with any patient was defeated by 256 votes to 230 - a majority of 26.

Other changes made to the bill include a ban on advertising assisted dying services and a measure to ensure assisted deaths carried out under the bill would not be deemed unnatural and therefore not be automatically referred to a coroner.

The legislation was initially approved by MPs in November by a majority of 55 votes and has been undergoing further scrutiny.

At least a dozen MPs who backed it or abstained on the bill have said they are now likely to vote against it.

Supporters remain confident it will eventually clear the parliamentary hurdles and become law.

Friday's debate saw MPs largely focused on how the bill would work, rather than discussing the general principle of assisted dying.

There was general consensus that assisted dying advertising should be prohibited, although some MPs called for restrictions to be tightened.

The amendment, tabled by Leadbeater, puts a duty on ministers to block advertising, while allowing them to make exemptions, such as providing information to users of particular services.

Her fellow Labour MP Paul Waugh called for that power to be removed telling MPs "one person's advert is another person's public information campaign.

"It's not impossible to imagine a secretary of state in future who passionately believes in the merits of assisted dying to authorise such a campaign."

Labour MP Tony Vaughan argued that Waugh's proposal would remove "essential flexibility" allowing ministers to respond to future developments.

Waugh's proposed amendment was defeated by by a majority of 21, while Leadbeater's was added to the bill.

Leadbeater's amendment ensuring assisted deaths would not automatically be investigated by a coroner also got backing form MPs.

Conservative Rebecca Smith had put forward an opposing amendment which would ensure assisted deaths would still be investigated by a coroner.

Without that measure, she said it would be "exceptionally difficult to say whether there have been errors or instances of abuse".

Disagreeing, Green MP Ellie Chowns said an assisted death under the provisions of the bill "would be the most scrutinised type of death in the country".

"It makes no sense to require another legal process at the end of that when there have already been multiple layers of scrutiny," she added.

At the start of the debate, MPs agreed to a previously-debated amendment on the process for replacing doctors unwilling to participate in assisted dying and another amendment which said there has to be a report from a doctor where there is concern about a proposed assisted death.

Conservative frontbencher Kieran Mullan complained that the debate - "a deeply consequential and highly contentious piece of legislation" - was not getting enough time in Parliament.

Health minister Stephen Kinnock replied that there had been more than 90 hours of parliamentary debate and more than 500 amendments had been considered.

Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine accused some MPs of "deliberately" trying to delay the voting process.

"It really looks petty and childish and could they please abstained from doing it the next time."

The bill will next be debated on 20 June, when it will either fall or go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.