Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

End-of-life Ministry 2026-01-15

15 January 2026 · 2 other contributors

Opened by Anna Dixon Lab Shipley

Religion & FaithNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Anna Dixon raised concerns about end-of-life ministry 2026-01-15 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is under debate in the other place.
  • Chaplains may be required to provide assisted dying services despite their objections and religious beliefs.
  • This requirement would affect end-of-life ministry, pastoral support, and bereavement counselling provided by clergy.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Anna Dixon Lab Shipley

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is still being debated in the other place. If passed unamended, chaplains may be required to provide assisted dying services despite their conscientious objections and organisational religious foundations. This would greatly impact end-of-life ministry, pastoral support and bereavement counselling offered by its clergy.

Other contributors (2)
  • Marsha De Cordova

    The Church supports the need for an institutional and individual opt-out as many hospices have concerns about being compelled to offer assisted dying against their religious beliefs. The bill is currently being thoroughly scrutinised in the other place.

  • Emma Lewell Lab South Shields

    The Bill's opt-outs for faith-based hospices are unworkable and will face constant legal challenges, raising serious concerns about assisted dying. The House should focus on end-of-life palliative care instead of assisted dying.

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