The Welsh Government has confirmed that the Senedd is likely to vote on whether or not to approve assisted dying in Wales in the Autumn, subject to the passage of the the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the UK Parliament.
Wales Humanists, which as part of Humanists UK campaigns for a compassionate assisted dying law with strong safeguards, has urged members of the Senedd to recognise the overwhelming public support for a change in the law across Wales and the UK as a whole.
Legislative consent needed for Wales
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed Third Reading in the House of Commons last week but the process to become law still has a long way to go and is not likely to gain royal assent until 2026. For Wales, where health is a devolved power, the process will involve at least one debate and vote in the Senedd.
In the Senedd this week, the Welsh Government told members they would have a decision to take on whether assisted dying services would be available in the public sector. If the UK Parliament bill passes, this will take the form of what’s known as a legislative consent motion, where Senedd members will need to vote on whether NHS Wales will offer the same service as NHS England. This is likely to be in the autumn.
Separately, in Scotland, where justice and health are both devolved matters, a majority of the Scottish Parliament voted to approve assisted dying at Stage 1 in May.
Support in Wales
Polling across the UK has consistently shown strong majorities in support of assisted dying in Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including a majority of voters from every political party and all the major religion or belief groups. Research also shows disabled people also very strongly support assisted dying, contrary to what is sometimes said. A YouGov poll ahead of the Third Reading in the House of Commons showed public support for assisted dying remained extremely high, at three quarters of the population. Assisted dying has between 70 and 80% approval in every Welsh constituency.
At a Wales Humanists event in Cardiff last summer, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and former First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford MS called for a UK-wide assisted dying law, saying: ‘I think it would pass through the Senedd. I would certainly be a supporter of it myself… You have a right to control the way in which you leave this world.’
A non-binding vote last October saw the Senedd narrowly reject an open-ended motion on assisted dying, with Senedd members at the time saying they were concerned about committing to a motion with no specific detail, ahead of the full publication of the UK Parliament Bill.
When the Bill comes to the Senedd, it will be with a fully defined scope and process, implementation timetable, and is the result of much debate and evidence in Westminster. Most Welsh MPs have supported it. But the matter could spill over to the Senedd elections in May next year, creating more room for debate.
Wales Humanists will be urging the Senedd to pass the motion to permit NHS Wales to support the final legislation. Any vote against it would leave Wales in the untenable position where assisted dying is legal, but the national healthcare provider is unable to provide it, leaving people in Wales severely disadvantaged as they may at best be forced to travel to England to access the service.
Wales Humanists Coordinator Kathy Riddick commented:
‘The Welsh public have consistently shown overwhelming support for assisted dying – with support high across every demographic, all the major religions or beliefs, and across the political divide. It is vital that the Senedd listens to the experiences of terminally ill people and acts to make sure that compassionate and safe assisted dying services are available in Wales.’
Notes
Wales Humanists is part of Humanists UK. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 140,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
For further comment or information, media should contact Wales Humanists Coordinator Kathy Riddick at kathy@humanists.uk or phone 07881 625 378.
Read more about our work on assisted dying.
Humanists UK can provide case studies of people and their loved ones who would be affected by this change available for the press.
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards and the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.