In this episode, we speak with Bambos Charalambous MP about the assisted dying bill’s key amendment, shifting oversight from a High Court Judge to a specialist panel. He explains why the Committee has debated this change but won’t vote on it yet. We also discuss parliamentary procedures, the bill’s timeline, and social media’s role in the debate. Plus, Ruth and Mark analyse the challenges ahead in getting the bill through the Commons and the House of Lords.
This week we sit down with Bambos Charalambous MP, the former Labour whip now marshalling the supporters of the assisted dying bill in the Public Bill Committee.
As the bill faces intense debate, Charalambous explains the major shift from having a High Court Judge oversee assisted dying applications to a specialist panel — and why, despite extensive discussion, the Committee won’t vote on this crucial change for some time.
We also explore the complexities of parliamentary procedure, the legislative timetable, and the role of social media in shaping the debate. Plus, Ruth and Mark break look at the remaining timetable for getting the bill through the Commons and then the House of Lords.
Bambos Charalambous MP
The Labour MP for Southgate and Wood Green, Bambos was first elected to Parliament in 2017 and is currently a member of the House of Commons Procedure Committee as well as the Public Bill Committee currently examining the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. He was a shadow Minister between 2018 and 2023. Before becoming an MP he was a solicitor and local councillor.
Hansard Society
Parliament
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bill documents
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[00:00:00] Intro: You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/PM.
[00:00:16] Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox,
[00:00:23] Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark Darcy, and welcome to the latest in our series of special mini pods following the detailed progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the bill to allow assisted dying.
[00:00:35] Ruth Fox: And this week we've spoken to Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP, supporter of the Bill, who's on the Public Bill Committee, performing an unusual role.
[00:00:43] We spoke to him on Zoom. And if you hear any odd background noises, that's because as we spoke to him there was a demonstration going on outside his parliamentary office.
[00:00:57] Mark D'Arcy: Well, we're delighted to welcome to the pod Bambos Charalambous, Labour MP, who's been a member of the Public Bill Committee, considering the Teminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, as it's officially known. So Bambos, first of all, the committee's now on what many think is going to be the most significant change that's going to be made during the committee process, the switch away from having High Court judges presiding over the consideration of applications for assisted dying to having a multidisciplinary expert panel instead.
[00:01:27] So those debates have been had. And as I understand it, the clauses about the judges being the people who preside over this have been taken out. But the new system hasn't yet, as it were, been plugged into the bill. Is that correct?
[00:01:40] Bambos Charalambous MP: That is correct, Mark. We've deleted Clause 12 that deals with the High Court Judge.
[00:01:45] And that's going to be replaced by a number of new clauses and new schedules. Those have been debated. We've had a very lengthy debate about the replacing of the High Court judge with a panel overseen by a commissioner. And, uh, those will be voted on at the very end of the bill after we've got through all 43 clauses and the amendments to those clauses.
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In our latest ‘Whipping Yarn’, we talk with Simon Hart, former Conservative Chief Whip during Rishi Sunak’s Premiership. Hart opens up about his time in one of Westminster’s most demanding and discreet roles, chronicled in his new book, ‘Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip’.
If a crisis or major national event occurs during a period when Parliament is adjourned, there are often demands from MPs, the media and the public for Parliament to be ‘recalled’. But the House of Commons Standing Orders stipulate that only Government Ministers - in reality, the Prime Minister - can ask the Speaker to recall the House. In recent years the House of Lords has generally been recalled at the same time as the House of Commons.
In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.
This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.
In this ninth instalment of our special mini-podcast series, we continue to explore the latest developments in the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, often referred to as the assisted dying bill. We are joined by Dr Marie Tidball MP to discuss the amendments she has secured for a Disability Advisory Board and an independent advocate for people with learning disabilities.
