John Wyatt writes:

Our government is still pushing through legislation at a bewildering pace that will have profound implications for the way we live and practise medicine .

The Select Committee reviewing Lord Joffe’s Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill is now taking oral evidence and has heard already from the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and Lord Joffe himself. CMF’s own written submission is available on the website homepage at www.cmf.org.uk. Professors Alan Johnson and Tim Maughan gave oral evidence to the committee on behalf of CMF on 14 October. Please do keep praying that wisdom will prevail and do also please take the opportunity to write to Select Committee members with your views – again details are available on the CMF website.

The Mental Capacity Bill, dealing with advance directives, proxy decision-making and research in individuals with learning disabilities had its second reading in Parliament on 11 October and may very soon become law. There is both good and bad in this bill – see the review in this quarter’s edition of Triple Helix for an overview.

Our response to the Department of Health on Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services was submitted in August and is also available on the website along with all other past CMF submissions at www.cmf.org.uk/ethics/submissions/ index.htm.

The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) is currently holding a new consultation Choosing the Future, in which the public is being asked to respond to a wide range of issues ranging from screening of embryos and genetic research, to fertility treatments and the prospect of designer babies. The closing date is 18 Novemer and CMF will again be making a written submission. More details can be found on the Human Genetics Commission website at www.hgc.gov.uk