§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Prime Minister if the letter of 22 December from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on the withdrawal of life-supporting treatment following receipt of an advance directive from a patient represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health sought to explain the current legal position on advance directives.
Her Majesty's Government acknowledge the right of individuals to draw up advance directives. People have a right, emphasised in the patients charter, to consent, or withhold consent, to treatment. Advance directives assist patients in the exercise of their legal rights and so ensure their lawful treatment.
The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics is examining this area, and is due to report soon. The Government will consider the Committee's findings very carefully.