North Wales MS and Chair of the Senedd Cross-Party Group on Hospice and Palliative Care, Mark Isherwood, has today questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language over the discussions he has had with the UK Government about the Westminster Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to ensure there is a requirement to record whether a patient is a Welsh speaker.
Speaking in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood highlighted concerns raised by health care professionals in North Wales regarding the Bill.
He said:
“Several health care professionals in North Wales have copied me on their campaign letters about the specific needs of Welsh speakers relating to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
“After I referred this to the Cross-party Group on Hospice and Palliative Care, which I Chair, Hospice UK shared this with their colleagues who are engaging with the UK Parliament Bill Committee on amendments, and assisted dying will be a key agenda item at the joint meeting of the Cross-Party Groups on Hospice and Palliative Care and on Funerals and Bereavement on 2nd April, when Baroness Finlay will be speaking.
“As the letter states, quote, 'It will not be possible to make any assessment of the presence or absence of coercion if the co-ordinating and independent doctors and any other healthcare professionals involved have the necessary conversations in English with a Welsh speaker'.
“What engagement have you, therefore, had with the Westminster Bill Committee, or will you be having with the UK Government, regarding both this and last October's vote in this Parliament against supporting this legislation in the Westminster Parliament?”
In his response, the Cabinet Secretary said: “I need to make the point again that this is not a Government Bill, so there is no Government-to-Government discussion of it, because the Government in Westminster isn't responsible for the Bill. The Bill is a private Members' Bill, and our own procedures for dealing with any legislative consent motion are different under private Members' Bills than they are under Government Bills”.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“Contrary to his statements, the UK Government has significant powers to influence the passage of Private Members Bills in the UK Parliament. It is relatively rare for Private Members Bills to pass through the legislative process and become Acts of Parliament and although they do sometimes pass, this is often only because the UK Government gives them their support.”