§ Mr. KhabraTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the recent vote in Oregon on the Death With Dignity Act; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Government's firm view is that the deliberate taking of life should remain illegal. The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics rejected the case for legalising euthanasia or assisting a person to commit suicide, and the Government wholly share the Committee's view. The vote in Oregon does not change our position on the matter.