MS opposes moves to legalise assisted dying

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales (pictured) says he is totally against any moves to make assisted dying legal. 

In the Senedd Mr Rowlands spoke against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which was approved by 28 votes to 23.

 

He said: “I'm unwavering in my decision, founded in my Christian faith, that it is not right for this Bill to proceed, because no matter their health, no matter their stage of life, every person is precious, every life is of equal worth, and our laws and healthcare system should always reflect that.

 

“Beyond my personal beliefs, I have serious concerns about patient safety, legal clarity, inequality and constitutional accountability. The fact is that granting consent now would embed into Welsh health services a practice that remains deeply contested. The Bill is still in Committee Stage with, as we've heard from others, over 1,000 amendments yet to be resolved.

 

“Let's be clear, while this Bill is titled with the words 'assisted dying', the Bill seeks to amend section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 to remove criminal liability for those who assist another person to end their own life. This LCM is asking us to embed assisted suicide within devolved health services in Wales.

 

“While crucial details remain unresolved. At a time when we rightly invest in suicide prevention and tell vulnerable people their lives matter, we must confront the contradiction of facilitating suicide as a medical service in certain circumstances. Doctors, as we know, are guided by the principle to first do no harm. This Bill would place our clinicians in Wales in conflicting roles, preventing suicide in some patients while validating it in others.

 

“If we are serious about dignity at the end of life, our priority should be universal access to high-quality palliative care, not the introduction of assisted suicide into mainstream practice.

 

Mr Rowlands reiterated his worries later on ITV’s political programme, Sharp End, where he expressed his concerns over the Bill and its principles.

 

He said: “I am deeply against the principle of assisted dying which is actually assisted suicide and it places health professionals in an extremely difficult position.

 

“We should be supporting people to live.”