APPENDIX 2: CALL FOR EVIDENCE DATED 14
JULY 2004
A House of Lords Select Committee has been appointed
to consider and report on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally
Ill Bill. The Members of the Committee are shown at Appendix 1.
The purpose of this letter is to invite organisations with a known
or presumed interest in the Bill to submit written evidence to
the Committee. Submissions should follow the guidance given below
and should reach the Committee as soon as possible, and in any
case not later than Friday 3 September 2004.
A copy of the Bill may be found at Annex 2. The full
text of the Bill is also available on the internet at:
http://pubs1.tso.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldbills/017/2004017.htm
or from The Stationery Office: tel. 08457 023474.
The reference is HL Bill 17, Session 2003-04.
The Bill is a Private Member's Bill, which was introduced
into the House earlier this year and had its Second Reading on
10 March 2004. Its main purpose is to enable, in specified circumstances,
a terminally ill competent adult to request medical assistance
to die.
The Select Committee's terms of reference are the
Bill itself. When the Committee produces its report, it will be
expected to recommend whether the Bill should proceed and, if
so, whether or not in an amended form (The Committee has the power
to amend the Bill).
Those wishing to submit written evidence should follow
the guidance given below:
Written evidence should be submitted to the Committee
no later than Friday 3 September 2004.
Written evidence should contain a brief introduction
to the persons or organisations submitting it.
Submissions should take the form of a memorandum,
which should have numbered paragraphs and should not exceed 3000
words in length. Unless submissions are very short, they should
be accompanied by a summary.
Those submitting evidence on behalf of organisations
are encouraged to indicate whether procedures exist for testing
the opinion of members and, if so, whether such procedures have
been invoked recently.
Evidence should, if possible, be submitted, in MS
Word or rich text format, by e-mail to assisteddyingbill@parliament.uk.
A single hard copy (single-sided, unbound) should also be sent
to Select Committee on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill
Bill [HL], Committee Office, House of Lords SW1A 0PW. If you would
find it difficult to submit evidence in this way, please contact
the Committee staff at the addresses shown below to discuss alternatives.
Once written evidence has been submitted it becomes
the property of the Committee.
Those who have submitted written evidence to the
Committee are welcome to publish their evidence themselves (for
example, by placing it on their own websites), provided that it
is not published until after the Committee has acknowledged receipt
of the evidence and that it is made clear that the document was
prepared as evidence to the Committee.
Written submissions from those invited to give oral
evidence will be available at the relevant hearing. Written evidence
will, wherever possible, be posted on the Committee's webpages,
and then either published by the Committee with its final Report
or placed in the public domain when that Report is published.
Those considering submitting information that they
would wish the Committee to treat as confidential should consult
the Committee staff in advance, initially by sending an e-mail
to the address given at the end of this letter.
In addition to this call for formal evidence, individuals
may make their views on the Bill known by sending a short letter
or email to the address given at the end of this letter. Such
letters or emails should state the sender's name and address and
his or her reasons (in brief) for either supporting or opposing
the Bill. Alternatively, instead of setting out their reasons,
they may wish simply to associate themselves with the views of
one or another organisation.
Enquiries in connection with the submission of written
evidence and short letters or emails from individuals should be
addressed to:
Select Committee on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally
Ill Bill
Committee Office
House of Lords
London SW1A 0PW
Email: assisteddyingbill@parliament.uk
Tel. 020-7219-4568
Membership
The members of the Committee are as follows:
Earl of Arran
Lord Carlile of Berriew
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Baroness Hayman
Baroness Jay of Paddington
Lord Joffe
Lord McColl of Dulwich
Lord Mackay of Clashfern (Chairman)
Lord Patel
Bishop of St Albans
Lord Taverne
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood
Lord Turnberg
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