Member

The Mental Capacity Act, as we have heard on numerous occasions in this House, in the other place and in our numerous panel evidence sessions, was never designed to authorise state assistance in ending life. This matters, because cognitive impairments affecting memory and retention are very common. Functional cognitive disorders, subjective cognitive decline, early dementia, acquired brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and learning disabilities all affect large numbers of people. Studies cited in the evidence show that over half of adults aged 40 to 79 report memory concerns. Dementia remains significantly underdiagnosed in primary care.