PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
RIGHT TO LIFE HUMAN-RIGHTS CARE CARD (6 November 2001)

That this House notes that over two years have passed since the launch of the British Medical Association's Guidelines on Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatment which advocated extending the withdrawal of treatment, including assisted food and fluid, from patients who were not dying; notes that this form of treatment was described in the Voluntary Euthanasia Society Scotland Newsletter as a 'form of non-voluntary euthanasia'; regrets, therefore, that the Department of Health has failed to inform hospitals that withdrawing food and fluid with the specific purpose of causing the death of patients contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights which 'guarantees that no-one should be deprived of his life intentionally'; therefore welcomes the Right to Life Human-Rights Care Card which people may carry in the same way that they currently carry organ-donor cards; notes that over 30 Right honourable and honourable Members and Peers attended the function to launch the card; applauds the fact that it makes clear that if anybody withdraws food and fluid (howsoever delivered) from the carrier with the purpose of causing death, they could be faced with legal action, followed if necessary by an application to the European Court of Human Rights; and calls on the Government to honour its pledge to oppose euthanasia and ensure that the Human-Rights Care Card is publicised through all relevant official channels.

Sponsored by:
Ann Winterton (Conservative)