Good afternoon,

We have arrived at a historic week, with both Westminster and Holyrood debating
assisted dying reform, in no small part thanks to you, and I wanted to remind
you of the key dates and times for debates and votes this week.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Liam
McArthur MSP, will have its Stage 1 vote tomorrow, Tuesday 13 May ; the first time MSPs will vote on this Bill and the first vote on any Assisted
Dying Bill in Scotland since 2015. The debate is set to begin at 14.30, and we
expect the vote will take place around 19.00. This is the equivalent of Second
Reading in the House of Commons, where MSPs will vote on the principle of
assisted dying. We are, again, cautiously optimistic that we have the numbers to
win. If so, the Bill will progress to Stage 2, likely to continue into the
autumn, when the Health Committee of MSPs that has already scrutinised the Bill
would then consider amendments to strengthen its safeguards and resolve any
concerns. There would be a final vote at Stage 3, likely to be the end of this
year or the beginning of next, when MSPs can vote for or against Scottish law
reform.

In Westminster, this Friday, 16th May , will be the first opportunity for the whole House to debate Kim Leadbeater’s
Bill since its momentous Second Reading debate in November last year, when a
clear majority of MPs voted to progress it. Report Stage enables the whole House
of Commons to propose, debate and vote on amendments to the Bill, following the
work of the cross-party Committee of MPs who scrutinised and amended the Bill
for almost 90 hours over seven weeks earlier this year. Report is followed by
Third Reading, which will determine whether the Bill can progress to the House
of Lords.

Third Reading can take place on the same day as Report, but we strongly suspect
that Report Stage will roll over to the next sitting Friday, 13 th June , and Third Reading will either follow on that same day, or even the following
week, Friday 20 th June . Timings will be determined by the Speaker’s grouping of amendments selected
to be debated, and the deadline for that is on Thursday, so we should have a
sense of the likely chronology then.

For too long dying Britons have not been at the centre of choices about how they
die. Alongside the public who overwhelmingly support choice, dying people who
don’t want to suffer unbearably and against their wishes, and bereaved families
whose tireless advocacy has powered Dignity in Dying’s campaign, we have been
making the case for law reform. I hope that these key debates and votes this
week build momentum and take us one step closer to compassionate choice at the
end of life throughout the British Isles.

I will keep you updated as we move through this momentous week.

Thanks as ever for your support.

Sarah

Sarah Wootton
Chief Executive
Dignity in Dying and Compassion in Dying

@sarah_wootton
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@sarahwootton.bsky.social
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07772 660 514

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