I listened carefully to Daniel Johnson when he spoke to his amendments. There is concern that they expand rather than restrict the definition of those who would be considered as eligible for assisted dying, which I understand is not his intention.

However, I wanted to share an email from a constituent about his sister. This is what he had to say:

“My sister is in a nursing home in Helensburgh and I have … power of attorney for her so I speak on her behalf. She has had a severe form of psychotic depression, which has caused her much suffering for nearly 45 years. She has been near death at least once from refusing food and drink. She … can be strongly influenced by outside suggestion. However the last eight years have probably been among the happiest of her life. Previous to that … advice as to assisted suicide would have, at times, been accepted by her, and I think that if she had lived in Canada or Holland she would now be dead.”

I am concerned that that person would fit into the definition as proposed by Daniel Johnson, and I would be grateful for his comments on that when he sums up.