Holyrood would need Westminster green light over assisted dying law for end of life drugs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Westminster would need to approve a Holyrood bill on legalising assisted dying over the lethal drugs needed to end a person’s life.Liam McArthur, who is pushing the plan, said he is confident the UK Government would give the go-ahead after “constructive” talks.The Lib Dem MSP is hoping to introduce a Bill this year which would introduce the right to an assisted death for terminally ill, mentally competent adults.Under the proposal, two doctors would have to independently confirm the person meets the criteria and the individual would have to sign a written declaration.In an interview with the Record, McArthur said two issues may require UK Ministers granting temporary permission to legislate.He said a so-called Section 30 order, which enabled the independence referendum in 2014, may be needed to guarantee the right of conscientious objection for health staff:He said this would come in the form of changing the regulation of health professionals - a reserved issue:“I absolutely understand why having your professional body backing that and providing further reassurance is desirable”.“It would allow the reassurance that, if they had a conscientious objection, they would be entitled to absent themselves from the process.The MSP also said a Section 30 could be needed to ensure that specific drugs could be used for end of life purposes.He said of his discussions with the Scotland Office: “The response was very constructive and I am committed to keeping them updated.”Critics fear assisted dying could put pressure on vulnerable people and act as a slippery slope to more extreme proposals.Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is more open minded than she was about legislation, but successor Humza Yousaf and Health Secretary Michael