Policy responses and statements
- Name of organisation:
- Scottish Parliament
- End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Committee
- Name of policy document:
- Call for Written Evidence on the End of Life
Assistance (Scotland) Bill
- Deadline for response:
- 12 May 2010
Background: On 10 February 2010 the Scottish
Parliament established an ad-hoc committee to consider the general
principles of the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill. The End of
Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee launched a call for written
evidence from all interested parties on the general principles of the
Bill. This Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament by Margo
Macdonald MSP on 20 January 2010.
The main purposes of the Bill are to—
- permit assistance to be given by registered medical practitioners
in Scotland to persons who wish to bring their own lives to an end
(“an assisted death”);
- establish who is eligible to receive an assisted death from
a registered medical practitioner;
- the process by which a person qualifies to receive an assisted
death, and
- the responsibilities and duties of the registered medical
practitioner and of a registered medical practitioner who is a psychiatrist
in response to a request for an assisted death.
The Committee invited evidence from individuals as well as from organisations
and professional bodies. The Committee intends that evidence received
will inform its consideration of the Bill at Stage 1.
The Committee invited views on all aspects of the Bill. Respondents
were invited to address all or any of the following points in turn
-
- Do you agree a person should be able to request end of life
assistance from a registered medical practitioner?
- Are you satisfied with the requirements for age and connection
with Scotland as set out in the Bill?
- Are you satisfied with the two categories of people who would
qualify to be assisted under the terms of the Bill?
- The Bill outlines a two-stage consent and verification process
that would be required to be followed for an eligible person to receive
end of life assistance. Are you satisfied with this process?
- Do you consider the level and nature of safeguards as set
out in the Bill to be appropriate?
- Do you have any other considerations on the Bill not included
in answers to the above questions?
Following consideration of the written submissions received, the Committee
will agree a programme of oral evidence sessions and may request further
written evidence as required.
Download this consultation
response as a .pdf
Copies of this response are available from:
Lesley Lockhart,
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,
9 Queen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1JQ.
Tel: 0131 225 7324 ext 608
Fax: 0131 220 3939
[12 May 2010]
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