𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

MPs scrutinising the assisted dying bill were told to be “civil and courteous” amid a tense start to committee proceedings.

The meeting of 23 MPs started with a disagreement between parliamentarians over whether the session, which would consider the suitability of witnesses to future hearings, should take place in private.

It comes after Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater’s legislation cleared its first Commons hurdle in November.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which received a historic yes vote in the Commons in November, is now being considered by a committee.

At the committee’s first formal meeting on tuesday, members were urged to act with “customary candour and decency”.

The reminder to be “civil and courteous to each other”, from committee chairman Sir Roger Gale, came as a leading opponent of the Bill, Conservative MP Danny Kruger, argued against members sitting in private to discuss witnesses who might give evidence.

Public Bill Committees frequently meet in private to discuss arrangements – in particular for witnesses – and the format of the meetings.

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, said it would be “inappropriate to discuss named individuals” in the context of the suitability of witnesses, and that, while transparency is important, “so is respecting individuals’ privacy”.

But Mr Kruger insisted there is a “clear public interest case that the public should understand” why certain witnesses have been chosen and others have not, adding “and if there are concerns about the witnesses, they should be aired publicly”.

Mr Kruger’s claim that the Bill was “written by a campaign group” was strongly rejected by Ms Leadbeater, who said that was “categorically not true” and that she took such a suggestion “quite personally offensively”.

She said the Bill had been drafted by herself and colleagues, with senior legislative expertise.

Mr Kruger apologised and withdrew his comment, but said: “I hope she (Ms Leadbeater) won’t be offended when points are made that she disagrees with.”

The committee voted 14 to 8 against calling oral evidence from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Senior Tory MP James Cleverly, who voted against legalising assisted dying last year, said: “This is setting off so many alarm bells now”.

The Bill could see terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live legally allowed to end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and a High Court judge.

MPs backed the bill by 330 to 275 in November’s landmark vote. It came after years of campaigning by the Daily Express’s Give Us Our Last Rights crusade and supporters including Dame Esther Rantzen.