Member News
Nadine Dorries is to launch a Commons campaign to strengthen the law against assisted suicide.
She is opposed to moves to make assisted suicide legal and will set out a private members' bill in the autumn to block any such change.
On Tuesday the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it was drawing up rules to cover exactly when someone would be prosecuted for helping someone to commit suicide.
The Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire told the Daily Mail that she would "challenge any moves to legalise assisted suicide".
Her statement came after Labour MP David Winnick asked ministers to make time in the parliamentary timetable to debate legalising the practice in the UK.
Dorries stated that while the law lords have called for clarification, her bill would ensure that "assisting suicide is an illegal act".
"Whilst a few may feel that they would personally benefit should assisted suicide become legal, many more would be subjected to an unbearable pressure and worry over which they would have no control," the MP added.
She also wrote on her blog that many elderly and disabled people may feel "perturbed" to hear that the director of public prosecutions will clarify the law on assisted suicide.
"The elderly in care homes up and down the country may have felt perturbed to hear tonight's news," she wrote.
"As I have said before, sometimes the next of kin may not be a loved one, it may be the state and it may be someone who has a reason to take note of how much a day your care is costing the taxpayer.
"Unfortunately, talk of assisted suicide is becoming commonplace and the subject is now becoming mainstream. A worrying situation and one which may one day have consequences."
The issue of assisted suicide made the headlines again last week after Debbie Purdy, who suffers with multiple sclerosis, was backed by the law lords in her bid to be told if her husband would be prosecuted for helping her to die.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
E Thompson
5th Aug 2009 at 2:39 pm