EXCLUSIVE Fresh blow to assisted suicide bill as Government admits errors in crucial impact assessment

Daily Mail​

15-05-2025

Troubled plans to legalise assisted suicide have suffered another blow as the Government quietly admitted it had got key figures wrong.
On the eve of the controversial legislation returning to Parliament, the official forecast of how many people are likely to seek to end their own lives was corrected – but MPs were not alerted.
The final page of the Impact Assessment carried out by the Department of Health and Ministry of Justice, which was controversially published late on the day of the local election results, was updated to state: 'Since publication on 02 May 2025, two errors have been identified and corrected.'
It explained that the wrong period of time was used to collate figures of recent assisted deaths in Oregon and so the prediction for England and Wales was incorrect.
Under the revised figures, up to 647 deaths are expected in the first half-year of the scheme rather than 787 and 1,078 applicants are expected instead of 1,311.
Campaigners told the Mail the that error highlighted the 'chaotic' nature of the legislation, which is being led by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater in a Private Members' Bill rather than by the Government. She has repeatedly made major changes to the plan, such as removing the role of High Court judges to approve applications, and has continued to table amendments to it until this week.
Labour MP Melanie Ward told the Mail: 'This shows just how chaotic this whole process has been.
'With the bill being amended by supporters just days before it is debated and the impact assessment being quietly corrected, MPs on either side of the debate can't really know what they are being asked to vote on.
'It calls into question again whether this bill is fit for purpose and whether this private members' bill process is suited to deal with such significant and profound matters of life and death.'
In another setback, leading social care organisations described the proposed law change as 'unworkable, unaffordable and naive'.
The Coalition of Frontline Care for People Nearing the End of Life told Sky News its members were worried about the impact on staff who look after terminally ill people.
It comes after the Royal College of Psychiatrists said it had 'serious concerns' about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the Royal College of Physicians said there were still 'deficiencies' in it.
And a former supporter of the bill broke ranks to say he will now abstain because he does not feel he should 'be God', in a fresh sign of MPs' growing doubts about the major social change.
Karl Turner became the first Labour MP who backed the bill at its first Parliamentary hurdle last year to publicly say he will no longer vote in favour.
He told the Telegraph: 'I used to be very liberal, but I just don't think – I'm going to sound like I'm religious, I'm not particularly – but I just don't think I should be God at the minute. It's not my job. I've got enough on my plate.'
Tory MP Charlie Dewhirst who previously abstained said he would vote against.
And former minister George Freeman also said he would change sides, telling Times Radio the bill risked creating a 'suicide culture'.
Bill architect Ms Leadbeater insisted that it is much stronger since she replaced the proposed sign-off by a judge with a panel featuring psychiatrists and social workers.
She told LBC radio: 'Having a more holistic approach, a more patient-centred approach, I think, is much, much stronger.'