Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 18 November 2025
Amendments 253 and 276, which are in my name, discuss the prohibition of dissemination of information relating to the substances used for assisted dying. The bill, as drafted, says nothing about the dissemination of information on the substances used for assisted suicide. There is no prohibition on publishing or sharing details about what those substances are, where to obtain them and in what quantities they should be used, and I believe that such an omission is dangerous.
Vulnerable adults who are suicidal could access the information online and attempt to end their own lives, outside the protections—if they are there—and the oversights of the bill. That runs directly counter to the objectives of the Online Safety Act 2023, which seeks to remove content that encourages or facilitates suicide. In matters of life and death, information itself can be lethal, and we cannot legislate for assisted suicide while leaving dangerous knowledge unregulated.
Amendment 253 attempts to close that gap by prohibiting the unauthorised sharing of information about the substances used in assisted suicide, including composition, sourcing and dosage. The purpose is threefold: to prevent misuse; to ensure strict ministerial oversight of highly sensitive information; and to maintain public confidence in the safety and integrity of the assisted suicide framework. It is a targeted, responsible measure to protect the vulnerable, uphold professional standards and prevent the misuse of lethal information.
I want to speak briefly to Pam Duncan-Glancy’s amendment.