Latest news with #legislation
BBC News
an hour ago
- Health
- BBC News
MPs deny Welsh Parliament veto on assisted dying in Wales
The Senedd has lost a potential veto over whether assisted dying will be legal in Wales after a vote of Commons reversed a change made to the bill at an earlier stage which would have given Members of the Senedd (MSs) the power to decide when the law comes into the plans now, the Senedd will be able to pass regulations on assisted dying services in Wales - but so will the UK will vote later on Friday to decide whether the bill proceeds for further consideration in the House of Lords. The Senedd still faces a significant decision on whether to give its consent to the legislation, in a vote expected in the will not be legally binding, but is supposed to be respected by the UK Parliament and could indicate whether the Welsh government is willing to pass its own regulations for how the system would is not clear what would happen in Wales if the Senedd did not come on board. The Senedd voted against a motion on a similar topic that failed to pass in January, albeit with a number of Health Secretary, Jeremy Miles, has expressed opposition to the situation has been created because while criminal justice is controlled by Westminster, health in Wales is handled in Cardiff Bay. The England and Wales legislation spans both topics. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who has drawn up the assisted dying legislation, sought through amendments to remove commencement powers for the Senedd added by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney at the earlier committee amendments on the Senedd's powers passed 274 votes for, 224 against, with a majority of a debate last week supporters of the amendments said the changes better reflect the fact that criminal law is not the Senedd's said the bill gave the UK parliament the power to impose the law on the Senedd, despite having rejected the bill would only allow those over the age of 18 and with less than six months to live to receive medical assistance to die.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Jordan: Government launches review of local administration Laws in Line with reform agenda
AMMAN — The government said on Thursday that it has initiated a series of meetings this month to review and advance legislation related to local administration, in line with the Royal Letter of Designation and the policy statement of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan's Cabinet. The Subcommittee on Local Administration, part of the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System, convened to review recommendations outlined in the political modernisation blueprint. The discussions aim to ensure coherence with the Public Sector Modernisation Roadmap and the Economic Modernisation Vision, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry. The committee would continue its meetings over the coming period to consider proposals and gather feedback aimed at strengthening the legislative framework governing local administration, the statement said. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Assisted dying bill due for final Commons debate ahead of crunch vote
Update: Date: 08:55 BST Title: What changes have been made to the assisted dying bill? Content: Oscar BentleyPolitical reporter MPs have made various changes to the assisted dying bill since they first voted on it in November. The main one has been the replacement of the role of a High Court judge in signing off an application for an assisted death with a panel of experts. The panel would contain a senior lawyer, a psychiatrist, and a social worker. Supporters of the bill argue it makes the process stronger by adding 'extra expertise'. The change was made after MPs heard evidence there was a lack of court capacity to deal with assisted death applications. MPs have also passed amendments that would ban healthcare professionals from raising assisted dying with under 18s (under 18s were already unable to access an assisted death in the original bill), banning the advertising of assisted dying, and preventing the automatic investigation of an assisted death to a coroner. The original bill said doctors wouldn't be obligated to take part in an assisted death. But another change made to the bill has expanded this to all healthcare professionals, for example social care workers or pharmacists. It is normal for bills to undergo some change during the legislative process. This is part of the scrutiny given to draft laws by MPs. Update: Date: 08:48 BST Title: A make or break moment for MPs voting on assisted dying Content: Helen CattPolitical correspondent It's been seven months since MPs last voted on this bill as a whole. Then they backed the principle of changing the law. Since then, MPs have been working on the detail of how it would be done. The bill has gone through more than 100 hours of scrutiny in Parliament with plenty of impassioned debate on both sides. Expect more of that today. MPs have been carefully considering their positions and, in some cases, changing them. The vote in a few hours' time will be a make or break moment – as it decides if this attempt to change the law will continue on to the House of Lords, or if it will come to an end. Update: Date: 08:45 BST Title: Get in touch Content: How are you being affected by the issues in this story? You can contact us in the following ways: Update: Date: 08:40 BST Title: Badenoch: I will be voting no Content: Alex PartridgeBBC Westminster Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the assisted dying bill, due to be voted on in its final stage by MPs, is a 'bad bill' and has 'not been done properly'. On Thursday, Badenoch said she had previously been supportive of the idea but 'this is not how we should do legislation like this' and doesn't believe the 'NHS and other services are ready'. While emphasising that her party has made it a free vote - when MPs can vote according to their conscience, rather than along party line - she says 'I will be voting no and I hope as many Conservative MPs as possible will be supporting me in that'. Update: Date: 08:35 BST Title: Bill now in 'stronger place' after changes, Labour MP says Content: We've just heard from Labour MP Jack Abbott, who says he'll now be voting for the assisted dying bill after originally voting against it back in November. Abbott tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme he joined a committee scrutinising the proposal following the vote last year and he now feels the bill is in a "stronger place" after it underwent a series of changes. Originally, a High Court judge would have to approve each request to end a life but this requirement has now been switched to a three-person panel - whose members, Abbott says, would need to receive training on coercion to ensure applicants are not pushed to undergo the process. The Ipswich MP says the changes are helping widen "the safety net" to ensure Parliament delivers on a "safe and compassionate" bill helping terminally ill people end their life. He adds the vote is likely to be "close". Update: Date: 08:28 BST Title: Labour MP opposing bill over 'lack of safeguards' Content: Josh Fenton-Glynn, the Labour MP for Calder Valley, is planning on voting against the bill and tells the BBC he supports assisted dying in principle, but thinks the bill lacks safeguards to protect against both family and medical coercion. "I'd like to see a good assisted dying bill, but unfortunately this isn't one," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Asked what concerns him, Fenton-Glynn says his background in social care and local council work means his is aware of the financial pressures caring for people exerts on both relatives and organisations. "I've seen what happens when families are tired and desperate at the end," he says, adding that it often leads them to make poor decisions over paying for care. He also cites concerns from disability rights organisations, who say people with disabilities often "feel pushed into these decisions" they would not already do. Update: Date: 08:24 BST Title: 'The dignity of choice': Why some are backing the bill Content: Dame Esther Rantzen, who has stage four lung cancer, has joined Dignitas in Switzerland Supporters of assisted dying have set out several reasons why they want the bill to be legalised. The Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater, who brought forward the bill said the legislation "would give dying people, under very stringent criteria, choice, autonomy and dignity, at the end of their lives". The Dignity in Dying campaign group said her bill provides the "most detailed, robust proposals" on the issue that "Westminster has ever considered". Chief executive Sarah Wootton said that the fact that every year "up to 650 terminally ill people end their own lives, often in lonely and traumatic ways," proves the need for reform. Broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen, who has stage-four lung cancer, is another long-standing campaigner for change. "All I'm asking for is that we be given the dignity of choice," she said. Update: Date: 08:21 BST Title: Growing number of MPs changing their mind on assisted dying Content: Labour's Markus Campbell-Savours is among those opposing it The assisted dying bill was supported by 330 MPs last year, passing its first major vote in the House of Commons with a majority of 55 MPs from a wide range of political parties. Since last year, at least a dozen MPs who backed or abstained on the bill had said they were likely to oppose it. On Thursday, a further four Labour MPs said they were switching sides to oppose the bill. Markus Campbell-Savours, Kanishka Narayan, Paul Foster and Jonathan Hinder said the bill had been "drastically weakened" since last year's vote. In a letter to colleagues, they warned that safeguards in the bill were "insufficient" and would "put vulnerable people in harm's way". Read more about the growing number of MPs changing their mind of assisted dying. Update: Date: 08:13 BST Title: Who is Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the bill? Content: Kim Leadbeater became the Labour MP for Batley and Spen in 2021, after winning a by-election in the constituency by just 323 votes. She is the sister of the constituency's former MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by a right-wing extremist in 2016. She campaigned on issues such as increasing the safety of MPs and tackling online abuse. However, the cause she is now most known for is leading the campaign for assisted dying. Opening the debate on the bill in November, Leadbeater said the legislation "would give dying people, under very stringent criteria, choice, autonomy and dignity, at the end of their lives". She said the current law "is failing people" and MPs have a "duty to do what is right to fix it". "Most people believe, as I do, that we should all have the right to make the choices and decisions we want about our own bodies," she said. Update: Date: 08:04 BST Title: What is the assisted dying bill? Content: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill,, external was introduced by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. It proposes letting terminally ill people end their life if they: Once an application has been approved, the patient would have to wait 14 days before proceeding. A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient's life, but the person would take it themselves. The bill defines the co-ordinating doctor as a registered medical practitioner with "training, qualifications and experience" at a level to be specified by the health secretary. It does not say which drug would be used. It would be illegal to coerce someone into declaring they want to end their life, with a possible 14-year prison sentence. Update: Date: 07:57 BST Title: MPs set to vote on assisted dying bill Content: The bill was put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater Welcome to our live coverage, as the assisted dying bill returns to the Commons for its third reading, and a vote which could either see it fail or move to its next stage in the House of Lords. The assisted dying bill is a proposed law that would allow some terminally-ill adults expected to die within six months to seek help to end their own life in England and Wales. In November, MPs voted in favour of the bill, meaning it had moved a step closer to becoming law. Since then, the bill has been making its way through the House of Commons to be scrutinised, discussed and amended. If passed in the Commons, the bill will go through five stages in the House of Lords and further rounds of voting. If it is not approved, the bill will not go on to become law, making today a decisive moment for this landmark legislation. Some amendments are expected to be voted on first this morning, before a debate on the bill as a whole begins. We'll bring you the key developments from the debate in the Commons, so stay with us.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Live MPs to vote on legalising assisted dying
MPs will vote this afternoon on whether to legalise assisted dying in a potentially historic moment for the country. The House of Commons backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in principle last November, by 330 votes to 275, a majority of 55. Dozens of hours of scrutiny have followed, with numerous amendments made, and MPs will now decide if they want to give the Bill its third reading - the final major hurdle all legislation must clear before it heads to the House of Lords for further consideration. If the Bill is voted through by MPs today it will almost certainly ensure assisted dying is introduced, with the upper House unlikely to stand in the way of a decision made by the democratically-elected chamber. But if the Bill is voted down, its passage through the Houses of Parliament will be over and the issue will likely be parked for a generation. Supporters of the Bill have argued dying people must be given the choice to end their lives but critics have warned proposed safeguards are not strong enough to protect the most vulnerable in society. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. MPs have been given a free vote on the Bill which means they are able to decide based on their conscience rather than being instructed along party lines. The relatively narrow margin of victory at second reading in November means today's vote could be tight and all eyes will be on how many MPs could switch sides. For example, the Bill would be defeated if 28 MPs were to switch from voting yes to no, and if all other MPs voted the same way they did in November, including abstentions. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who brought the legislation forward, said she was 'confident' the Commons will back her Bill, allowing it to continue its journey to the statute book. The issue has split the Cabinet. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, is expected to back the Bill but Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, will vote against it.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Panic as Social Security bosses set date America will run out of cash
The US Social Security and Medicare programs for seniors will both run short of funds to pay full benefits in 2033. The go-broke dates the two trust funds have moved up due to rising health care costs and new legislation affecting Social Security benefits, according to an annual report released Wednesday. The yearly assessment found that Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund will be unable to fully cover costs beginning in 2033 — three years earlier than last year's estimate. Higher-than-forecast hospitalizations of Americans over 65 years old was a key factor. Social Security's combined trust funds, which support retirement and disability benefits to 70 million Americans, are also expected to be depleted in 2033. While the year was unchanged from last year's report, it was advanced by three calendar quarters within that year. The projections reflect higher-than-expected healthcare spending, along with recent legislation that increased Social Security benefits for some workers. Once the funds are exhausted, beneficiaries would still receive payments, but at reduced levels. Medicare would be able to cover just 89 percent of hospital costs, while Social Security could pay only about 81 percent of promised benefits. The trustees say the latest findings show the urgency of needed changes to the programs, which have faced dire financial projections for decades. But making changes to the programs has long been politically unpopular, and lawmakers have repeatedly kicked Social Security and Medicare´s troubling math to the next generation. President Donald Trump and other Republicans have vowed not to make any cuts to Medicare or Social Security, even as they seek to shrink the federal government´s expenditures. 'The financial status of the trust funds remains a top priority for the administration,' said Social Security Administration commissioner Frank Bisignano in a statement. The new forecast adds urgency to a long-standing challenge facing Congress, which has repeatedly delayed making reforms due to political sensitivity around the issue. Lawmakers would need to act — either by raising taxes, reducing benefits, or both —to ensure long-term solvency. President Donald Trump and many Republican lawmakers have pledged not to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, but critics say recent legislative changes have worsened the programs' financial outlook. One provision enacted in January—the Social Security Fairness Act—eliminated two rules that had reduced benefits for certain workers, effectively increasing payments and accelerating the trust fund's projected depletion. Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the CATO Institute, called the change 'a political giveaway masquerading as reform.' Instead of tackling Social Security´s structural imbalances, Congress chose to increase benefits for a vocal minority-accelerating trust fund insolvency.' About 68 million Americans are currently enrolled in Medicare, and more than 70 million receive Social Security benefits. Both programs are primarily funded through payroll taxes, but costs are projected to outpace revenues due to the country's aging population and rising healthcare expenses. Experts say failure to act soon could result in sudden benefit cuts and instability for millions of retirees and disabled Americans. 'Congress must act to protect and strengthen the Social Security that Americans have earned and paid into,' said AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan. Several policy proposals have been floated in recent years, but none have gained significant momentum. The last major reform to Social Security came in 1983, when the eligibility age for full retirement benefits was raised from 65 to 67. Without further legislative changes, the federal programs that serve as the backbone of retirement security in the US could face significant challenges within the next decade. Last year, billionaire CEO Larry Fink said Americans should work beyond the age of 65 to stop the Social Security system collapsing. Meanwhile, experts recently said Americans are making a big mistake by claiming their Social Security checks early, since delaying their claims could lead to higher payments. Every year you delay taking a Social Security payment after full retirement age you receive a significant increase in payments up to the age of 70.
