"Churches using undue influence to stifle Parliamentary Debate" claim MPs

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 11th May 2006

Reacting to the news that the churches are behind a move to pass a wrecking amendment to Lord Joffe's private members bill on assisted dying this Friday, Dr Evan Harris, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said:

"The behaviour of the Church is a clear abuse of privileges that many people feel they shouldn't even have. While they are free to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds, as they have, on lobbying Parliamentarians that is another matter altogether as to whether they use their physical presence in our legislature to subvert debate even before it begins.

"The select committee enquiry, involving trips to Oregon and to Holland, cost tens of thousands of pounds and unanimously recommended that the bill be properly scrutinised. It is outrageous that vested interests are seeking to deny Parliament the chance to debate this."

Joan Ruddock, Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Compassion in Dying Group, said:

"The public want this Bill, four out of five people consistently support it. There is a clear demand for further debate on this issue."