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REX/Voisin / Phanie
UK News

MSPs raise assisted suicide concerns

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee said it "has a concern" about the role of those who would held terminally-ill people to die early.

Proposals in the Assisted Suicide Bill include having "licensed facilitators" to offer "practical assistance, comfort and reassurance before, during and after the act of suicide".

The facilitator would have to be over 16 and would also take a role in reporting the suicide to police.

But the committee has published a report into the licensed facilitator role saying the rules are not clear enough and the role should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

It states: "The committee has a concern that rules as to the conduct of facilitators (in light of the anticipated significance of their role and the potential impact on individuals who may be vulnerable, and their families) should more properly be covered by regulations and should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

"The committee is concerned that such rules should be clearly prescribed in legislation, to give greater clarity as to what is expected of facilitators, and in order to provide protection both for facilitators and for the public."

The report will now be considered by Holyrood's Health Committee which is examining the bill.

Gordon Macdonald of Care Not Killing, which includes a number of Christian organisations, said: "This Bill is asking the Scottish Government to fund and train people who will become, in effect, state-sponsored licensed killers, aged just 16, authorised to preside over the suicide deaths of those as young as 16.

"Clearly, the committee has seen the inherent dangers the licensed facilitator scheme poses and the lack of clarity and precision which pose a threat to the weak and the vulnerable and those least able to defend themselves."

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