The Assisted Dying Bill: How will Parliament decide? A briefing on the parliamentary process for Private Members' Bills (PMBs)

Events / Webinars

The Assisted Dying Bill: Making sense of the parliamentary process

26 Nov 2024

Kim Leadbeater MP queues behind the Speaker’s Chair to present her Private Member’s Bill on Assisted Dying for First Reading, 16 October 2024. © House of Commons

The Assisted Dying Bill is a Private Member’s Bill (PMB). Although the legislative stages for PMBs are the same as for Government bills, the rules that apply are different, creating distinct procedural hurdles that PMBs must navigate. This online discussion featured a discussion between a panel of impartial experts about the parliamentary process affecting this Bill. If you were unable to join us for the live event, a recording is now being made available.

The live event took place between 6:00pm and 7:15pm on Tuesday 26 November 2024 Post-event recording will be available from 27 November 2024 (Tickets: £10)

Purchase a recording

You can still purchase a recording of this online discussion, which explored the intricacies of the parliamentary process behind the Assisted Dying Private Member’s Bill - properly called the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

The speakers are:

Sir David Natzler, former Clerk of the House of Commons;
Dr Daniel Gover, Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London; and
Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society, who will chair the event.

If you were unable to join us for the live event, a recording is now being made available. You will have exclusive access to it for up to four weeks after the event took place to watch it at your convenience.

Tickets are £10 - all proceeds go to our 80th Anniversary Fundraising Appeal which helps support our educational work.

About this event

The event focused strictly on the parliamentary dynamics surrounding this Bill, rather than the merits or policy debates surrounding assisted dying.

In advance of the Second Reading debate on the Bill, our panel of experts explain what is likely to unfold and what procedural hurdles may affect the Bill’s progress. The event covered key issues, including:

How PMBs operate: Discover what typically happens during the Second Reading of PMBs on sitting Fridays, and how this differs from the treatment of Government bills. What role will speech limits, filibustering and closure motions play in the debate?
PMBs as a legislative tool: Are PMBs and free votes suitable vehicles for enacting the right to assisted dying? We will explore precedents and lessons from past bills.
Procedural challenges specific to this Bill: What hurdles does this Bill face, particularly given its subject matter?
Pathways and roadblocks if passed: If the Bill receives a Second Reading, what procedural factors could aid or hinder its journey?
Government involvement: Does the Government have responsibilities in relation to Private Members' Bills, even if they are maintaining an officially 'neutral' stance? What options does the Government have to allocate additional time for the Bill if it survives Second Reading? What other procedural changes may be needed? We will look at the legislative precedents for context.
House of Lords consideration: Should the Bill progress through the Commons, what might its journey in the House of Lords entail?

Through clear explanations and Q&A opportunities, you will gain a solid understanding of the procedural landscape that will shape the Assisted Dying Bill’s legislative journey.

Speakers

Sir David Natzler was Clerk of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2019, after a career in the House of Commons service which began in the mid-1970s. As Clerk he combined the twin roles of head of the 2,500 strong House of Commons service and being the senior adviser to the Speaker and all members of the House on parliamentary practice and procedure and on the constitution. His time as Clerk covered two general elections and the EU referendum.
Dr Daniel Gover is a Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London and a specialist in legislative studies. His research focuses on how parliamentary procedures impact policy outcomes, with a particular focus on Private Members’ Bills.
Dr Ruth Fox is Director of the Hansard Society and co-host of our weekly Parliament Matters podcast. She has written regularly about Private Members’ Bills and how they should be reformed. She has also given evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee on several occasions regarding reform of PMB procedures.

Resources

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - the Bill and Explanatory Notes
David Natzler, What future for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill? (Constitution Unit, 4 November 2024)
Daniel Gover, Assisted dying bill enters Parliament – how likely is it to become law? (The Conversation, 16 October 2024)
Daniel Gover, How to improve parliamentary scrutiny of the assisted dying bill (The Constitution Unit, 26 November 2024)
Ruth Fox, Enhancing the role of backbench MPs: Proposals for reform of Private Members’ Bills (Hansard Society, 2011)
Hansard Society, Procedural guide to Private Members’ Bills

Purchase a recording - All proceeds go to our 80th Anniversary Fundraising Appeal which helps support our educational work.

Latest / Highlights

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #10 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 89

Having cleared detailed scrutiny in a Public Bill Committee, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill faces its next crucial test when it returns to the House of Commons for Report Stage on 16 May. This stage is often where Private Members' Bills falter. Will opponents of Kim Leadbeater’s proposals to legalise assisted dying win enough support to amend the Bill? Can supporters of the Bill fend off attempts to change it? And could the Bill be lost altogether, because of the procedural hurdles that still stand in its way?

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 28 April - 2 May 2025

MPs will debate the Football Governance Bill for the first time and consider controversial proposals to give government access to benefit recipients’ bank data in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill. The Great British Energy Bill faces a further hurdle over modern slavery concerns in solar panel supply chains. Orders on extended VE Day pub hours and banning ‘ninja swords’ will be considered. David Lammy and Shabana Mahmood face committee scrutiny, while Richard Foord seeks to require parliamentary approval for a UK–US trade deal. Mayors Andy Burnham and Kim McGuinness will give evidence on industrial strategy, and Dr Fiona Hill will speak about social mobility and education.

News / Should Parliament roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 88

After Parliament’s rare Saturday sitting to pass the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill with minimal scrutiny, we explore concerns about rushed legislation and unchecked ministerial powers. The Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle faces criticism for allegedly protecting Keir Starmer at PMQs. Meanwhile, as MPs and Peers move to block a possible Trump address to Parliament during his second UK State Visit, we discuss who controls invitations to speak and where on the parliamentary estate.

Submissions / Evidence to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee: Priorities and strategic aims

In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.

Briefings / The Assisted Dying Bill: A guide to the Private Member's Bill process

This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.