Member

Last year, the Times reported that, in 2022-23, spending by arm’s-length bodies represented 29.6% of all public sector spending, which is more than double what it was in 2012-13, when it was just 13.2%. The assisted dying commissioner’s office would fall under the arm’s-length body category and would join this public sector spending, which seems to grow even though there have been attempts made in the other place to impose restrictions. Our public sector should be accountable to the public. This office will have powers over matters of life and death and needs to be fully transparent to the public. We need to make sure that real accountability is embedded in the Bill and is not something that can be dismissed later on.