The House sat on Friday 29 November 2024 to debate and vote on the Second Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

I was hoping to speak in the debate but I was not called. I thought it was important to let you know what I was going to say and my views on the Bill.

I wanted to start by acknowledging the Hon member for member for Spen Valley who has taken a bold and courageous decision to bring forward this bill

Some have argued that this is not the appropriate procedure for such an important decision. However the procedure is such that Private Members Bills can be used to improve, change, or introduce new legislation if the Government allows the time and I know that many of us many of us have had private members bills and had clauses of those bills then inserted into Government Bills which become law.  

Some have also said that more time is needed but what I have picked up is that there should be a wider debate to discuss the medical side and the ethical side;

But we are here on behalf of our constituents and they trust us to make the decision listening to the debate;

This bill is asking a person to consent to ending their life;

If this is the right way why are Disabled people fearful- of this Bill; these are the words of Kamran Mallick Chief Executive of Disabilities Rights UK:

 “ it is from bitter experience that words and laws do not always add up to protecting Disabled people.

 during the pandemic, where we were often denied life-saving care, and where 60 per cent of all deaths from Covid were those of Disabled people, who comprise 24 per cent of the population.

We have huge empathy for Disabled people who live with pain and wish to make an informed choice to have control over the end of their lives.

However, given the severe inequalities for Disabled people within society, especially relating to the quality of health and independent living support,  upholding quality of life should be the focus of the government.

Giving us dignified and equitable lives should come before putting in place ways of assisting us to die.

I wholeheartedly agree with that view.

Secondly, doctors are trained to save lives and should never be compelled – whether through external pressures or professional obligations to undertake the requirements of the Bill;

We can train others to undertake the process but do not call them doctors because doctors take an oath to “do no harm.”

In my view this could change the trust between a patient and a doctor;

We should be celebrating advancements in medicine;  patients with severe illnesses live longer, because of advancements in medicine often through therapies that slow disease progression,

This is what a Doctor has said about the Bill :

“the UK healthcare system operates under a shared decision-making model. Patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of their treatment options and have the right to consent to or refuse therapies.”

“An individual mentally capable of requesting assisted dying is also capable of choosing to decline life-prolonging treatments and instead opt for comfort care, allowing the disease to take its course. In this context, involving doctors in providing life-ending measures is contradictory and ethically problematic.”

“A do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a valid option for patients who do not wish to undergo further treatment and request a DNR order.”

“terminal illness” is not an absolute definition.

Doctors say there are numerous documented cases where patients have made unexpected recoveries. This underscores the uncertainty inherent in prognostic labelling and emphasises the potential for recovery, even in seemingly hopeless situations.

Third: Palliative care is nowhere near where we want it to be and hospices as charities struggle to get recognition and have to raise money and often legacies or donations to animal charities are more than to Hospices.

In conclusion if we are so divided on this issue imagine what it will do to families.

As human beings we are programmed to survive;

I do not consider it is for the state to enshrine in legislation the circumstances of whether someone should live or die and for all those reasons, I voted against the Bill.

The Bill passed its second reading by Ayes: 330  Noes: 275

It was great to drop into  the Libraries for Primaries Event held by the Libraries Literacy Trust on the Thursday 28 November 2024.  Moreland Primary School pupils were present to speak about how they have benefited from Libraries for Primaries and  what the new library means to them. Chief Executive CBE Jonathan Douglas spoke “About the link between Poverty and Literacy in School and said it was strong and inter-generational but something could be done, it was not inevitable. He said investments in school primaries is an opportunity for the government to level the playing field and raise school standards”.They have a multiple partner approach and have transformed 1,000 school libraries and suggested that all MPs should support Libraries for Primaries.



 I spoke and mentioned that the libraries in my constituency for example  Moorcroft Wood, when I was MP for Walsall South.  There was a beautiful tree in the middle of the library and I mentioned the visit  to the library at Hillary Primary School. I undertook to write to all the primary schools in Walsall & Bloxwich to find out if they had their own library. I met a number of authors Michael Rosen (Rosen’s Almanac), Adam Kay (Dexter Protector: The 10 Year Old Doctor), (above)  Cressida Cowell (How to Train your Dragon)(above) and Rob Biddulph (Blown Away).(left)  The National Literacy Trust is in partnership with Penguin Random House UK, also present was Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo) (below) who brought along his latest book The Jeweller's Apprentice. We all discussed the report ( below right) and here is a brief summary of its findings:Summary:1 in 7 state primary schools in UK do not have a library.1 in 5 parents are now buying fewer books for their children.1 in 10 children from a disadvantaged background do not have a single book of their own at home.This rises to 1 in 4 schools in the most disadvantage communities who don’t have a library.86% of the parents said they would support making it a legal requirement for every primary school in the country to have a designated library on site.71% parents think that access to a primary school library is more important than access to a computer suite 66% or to a gymnasium 64%85% of parents said that its important that their child reads for pleasure. 

I was delighted to close and thank all the speakers at the drop in of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gardening  & Horticulture. We heard from Boyd Douglas Davis, who is the Chair of the Environmental Horticulture Group, Minister Daniel Zeichner (Food Security and Rural Affairs), the actor Jim Carter, patron of Greenfingers, a charity that creates gardens in children's hospices and of course, Alan Titchmarsh, formerly of Gardeners World and many other Gardenning programmes, Classic FM and I said the only thing left for him to do was a jeans ad. ! 

I remembered something I picked up which was to stand with your back to a flower bed and throw the bulbs randomly over your shoulder and then plant the bulbs where they fall. I mentioned that Jim and Alan where planted deep in our hearts and came up like strong bulbs in the nation's consciousness. They both have done amazing work for charity Jim with his cycle rides and Alan with helping people with their gardens.   

This event launched a report on 'The Economic Impact of Environmental Horticulture and Landscaping in the UK', by Oxford Economics. This was accompanied by 'Mission Green Growth', a strategic plan which Baroness Fookes, in her foreword, urged the Government to "read, learn and collaborate".

I also invited Paul Mason from Goscote Greenacres who met up with Alan Titchmarsh. 

The APPG on Gardenning andf Horticulture will be planning new events for next year. 

I attended the APPG for British Sikhs in conjunction with The Sikh Network and the Sikh Federation (UK) event to take part in the 8th Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab celebrations on Tuesday 26 November 2024 .

Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab (birthday) celebration is a unique opportunity to share his universal message of One God, Truth & Equality. Guru Nanak Dev ji is the founder of the Sikh faith and first of the living Gurus. The 3 pillars of the Sikh faith and Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teaching are:

Naam Japo - Remembrance of God by repeating and focusing the mind on His name or identity.
Vand Ke Chako - To share the fruits of one’s labour with others before considering oneself. Thus, to live as an inspiration and a support to the entire community.
Kirat Karo - To carry out good deeds and earn a honest, pure and truthful livelihood by exercising ones God given skills, abilities, talents and hard labour for the benefit and improvement of the individual, their family and society at large.

On 26 November 2024, I chaired an Evidence session of the Bill. We heard from Allen Simpson, deputy CEO UKHospitality, Neil Carberry, CEO, Recruitment & Employment Confed. Jamie Cater, Make UK, Jim Bligh, director, Food and Drink Federation; Gemma Griffin, VP global crewing DFDS, Martyn Gray, Director for Nautilus International, Mick Lynch, Gen Secretary, RMT. Paul Nowak, Gen Sec TUC; Maggi Ferncombe, Director, political strategy, and transformation for Unison; Dave Moxham, deputy gen sec STUC; Hannah Reed, Unite. Jemima Olchawski, CEO, Fawcett Society, and Joeli Brearley, founder and CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed.