Care Minister Norman Lamb "promotes assisted suicide as treatment option for disabled and elderly people"

Last week, Care Minister Norman Lamb said he had "changed his mind" and was now in support Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill.

The minister, who is in charge of care for the elderly, said: "I have in the past been very opposed. I was concerned about the risk of families exploiting vulnerable relatives. But ultimately the question is whether concerns about some people seeking to exploit the situation should deny others the right to make an informed choice. I don’t think it can."

Responding to the comments in his blog, Dr Peter Saunders of Care not Killing said: "There is really something quite chilling about seeing the Care Minister backing assisted suicide as a treatment option for disabled and elderly people.

"But that is exactly what Liberal Democrat Minister Norman Lamb, the cabinet member responsible for providing care for people with dementia and other serious disabilities, has done.

"It is bitterly ironic that he has spoken out on the very day that the CEOs of four major charities representing elderly and disabled people have written to members of the House of Lords warning about the dangers of passing Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill and one day before disabled people’s representatives take to the streets of Westminster and the airwaves of the nation to protest.

"Falconer's bill is no less than a recipe for the abuse of elderly and disabled people."

Read the full blog post here >

David Cameron maintains opposition to assisted suicide

This week, Prime Minister David Cameron said that he was "not convinced" by Lord Falconer's Bill and spoke of his concern that if the proposed legislation is passed, “people might be being pushed into things that they don’t actually want for themselves.”

During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday (16 July), he said he didn't think "further steps needed to be taken" by Parliament.