Overview

• The House of Lords agreed to establish a select committee of roughly a dozen peers to take evidence on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and report by 7 November.
• An amendment led by Baroness Luciana Berger, backed by the bill’s sponsor Lord Charlie Falconer, is designed to enable a full Committee stage in November rather than slipping to January.
• The committee is expected to examine funding, the roles of psychiatrists and coroners, and could call Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary David Lammy to give evidence.
• The bill would allow mentally competent adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel including a social worker, a senior legal figure and a psychiatrist.
• Opposition remains strong, with Theresa May warning of risks and the Royal College of Psychiatrists flagging safeguarding gaps and workforce shortages; if enacted, the Government would have four years to establish services, pointing to a possible 2029/30 start.