Ms Abena Oppong-Asare

I thank my hon. Friend, and I do share those concerns. I have met with constituents who have also been impacted, and I have seen that in the equality impact assessment. My point is whether people would be making this choice in circumstances none of us would want for ourselves: the person unable to access the social care they need, the person worried about the financial consequences of their illness, the person who feels like a burden to those they love, or the person facing loneliness, dependency or abuse. Where evidence identifies greater risks for particular groups and where respected voices continue to raise concerns about whether existing safeguards are sufficient, I believe Parliament has a duty to take those concerns seriously and to test whether more can be done, because access to death should never be easier than access to dignity in life. I want every person approaching the end of life to receive the dignity, support and compassion that I have seen provided by our hospices across the country. But, having considered the evidence before us, I am not persuaded that these serious concerns about inequality, disability, safeguarding and end-of-life uncertainty have been adequately resolved. Until I can feel confident that the safeguards are strong enough to protect the most vulnerable, I do not believe that Parliament should create a legal route to an assisted death.