Bishop Sarah responds to Commons debate on assisted suicide

Following the vote in the House of Commons to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill a second reading, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, the Church of England's lead bishop for health and social care, said:

"I have been deeply moved watching proceedings unfold in the House of Commons today. My prayers are with all those who have been affected, who have shared and heard their stories, and facilitated this debate.

"The Church of England believes that the compassionate response at the end of life lies in the provision of high quality palliative care services to all who need them.

"Today’s vote still leaves the question of how this could be implemented in an overstretched and under-funded NHS, social care and legal system.

"Safeguarding the most vulnerable must be at the heart of the coming Parliamentary process, today’s vote is not the end of the debate.”