WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has backed an amendment to the controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to ensure potential providers are not able to advertise services.
The MP has been working with the Bill’s sponsor Kim Leadbeater MP, to add a clause to the legislation controlling how potential services are marketed across television, radio and digital media.
The Bill is expected to return for further debate in the House of Commons on May 16 and Dame Harriett plans to attend the debate and speak on her proposed amendment.
Dame Harriett said: “Although I am fundamentally opposed to the Bill, I have been working with the Bill’s supporters to ensure measures are in place to prevent adverts for assisted dying services appearing on television next to life insurance and holiday adverts.
“The amendment will ensure advertising of voluntary assisted dying services are not allowed across traditional and digital media outlets.
“I still plan to vote against the Bill when it returns to the House of Commons but if MPs choose to approve this legislation, I wanted to make sure we don’t face the nightmare scenario of our day-time TV screens full of troubling adverts offering assisted suicide.
“I remain hopeful that this Bill is the trigger to an important national conversation about how we fund and deliver much better palliative care, and I repeat my public support for the amazing work our hospices do helping patients and their loved ones through terminal illness.”
