Member

In Amendments 466 and 471 my noble friend Lady Berger seeks to require the panel to hear from and question the applicant and the co-ordinating doctor. Currently, the draft says it must hear from them, with some exceptions, and may question. It does not have to question the patient or the co-ordinating doctor if it does not think it is appropriate to do so; for example, because it is completely satisfied with what it hears from the doctor about the terminal illness, or because, having heard from the patient, cross-examining or examining the patient does not seem appropriate. I think the right balance has been struck in relation to that.