Speeches by Gordon.

“I completely understand where the hon. Lady is coming from, but this is the conflict between someone feeling like a burden because of their own personal choice and autonomy, and how those might impact other people in their surroundings. Does she accept that among the reasons that many people might want to access an ass…”

“I want to make two points that reflect on the oral evidence that we heard. I cannot remember exactly which witness it was, but someone said something along the lines of there being something quite British about feeling a bit like a burden. That point really stuck with me, because we say it all the time and that was the…”

“I just wondered whether the right hon. Member shares my concerns that the amendment would end up in the territory of legislators and parliamentarians almost trying to act as thought police, when we should be respecting the autonomy of people in the decisions they make.”

“Can the hon. Member elaborate on what the amendment would add that previous amendments we have debated would not?”

“There is a fundamental difference between trying to ensure that people have equal access to assisted dying and prohibiting a specific group or category. Does the hon. Member understand that?”

“I completely agree with the point the hon. Lady is making about mental capacity applying to eating disorders, but would that not be better debated in relation to defining an eating disorder as a terminal illness, rather than in regard to mental capacity?”

“I understand the concerns my hon. Friend is raising about assessing mental capacity. Does she acknowledge that throughout this process mental capacity will be assessed not once but multiple times? What does she say to that?”

“I can understand where the hon. Lady is coming from, but I wonder whether she has any specific examples of groups such as people who are homeless or prisoners having other rights denied to them. That is what I am struggling with, although I can understand her point about people being vulnerable. The only other example …”

“The hon. Member makes a valid point about ensuring that there is documentary evidence. Does he not feel that that will be covered at a later point in the Bill when we debate the amendments on training, and specifically on ensuring a coherent way in which all the doctors and people in the process set about recording?”

“9. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people who commit hate crime.”

“In Harrogate and Knaresborough, the River Nidd regularly overflows with sewage. When I visited the Killinghall sewage treatment works last year, a key thing that came to light was that water companies are putting in infrastructure to manage the current sewage issue, rather than future-proofing. What steps will the Mini…”

“3. What steps he is taking to help reduce sewage in rivers.”

“Last week, I met the Harrogate branch of the National Autistic Society and heard first-hand stories of issues faced by people with autism, including getting a diagnosis, getting help and support into employment, and stigma. Will the Leader of the House provide Government time for a debate on the challenges that autisti…”

“February marks LGBT History Month, and last night, many people came together in Speaker’s House to hear about the progress that has been made in tackling hate crime against the LGBT community. Will the Solicitor General outline what steps have been taken to ensure that trans people in particular feel safe, and that per…”

“In recent days and weeks, household bills across my constituency have gone up and up and up. Many who miss out on pension credit because they are just above the cut-off will now be wondering where they will find that extra money. Will the Government think again about the removal of the winter fuel payment and ensure th…”

“The Minister said that the numbers no longer added up for AstraZeneca, but in response to the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson), he said that employer national insurance contribution increases were not a factor. How can both those things be right? When I speak to the local science sector and to bu…”

“If you have systems where assisted death is offered outside the healthcare setting, as in some of the countries around the world that you have mentioned, how does that limit people’s access to it? Do you think that has an impact? Professor Preston: I think it almost enhances their access to it. At the moment, they get …”

“Q Professor Preston, we have heard from a wide range of different people from different jurisdictions. What we have heard and the evidence suggest that where we see assisted dying as an option, we tend to see improvements in palliative care. Do you have any comment on that and how we could better integrate into giving …”

“Q Dr Ward, I think the point about a holistic and evidence-based approach is critical. In the work that you did in the Scottish example you gave, how was the terminal illness definition arrived at? How are you capturing those people who are vulnerable and want to have an assisted death, but might end up limited in thei…”

“On that—”