(2) whether Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised Parliamentary Counsel to assist in drafting amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill on behalf of private Members in the House of Lords and (b) authorised officials in his Department to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to draft amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill which (i) were subsequently provided to private Members in the House of Lords and (ii) are intended to be provided to private Members in the House of Lords for tabling; and if he will make a statement.
We have received 186 letters from hon. Members and right hon. Members and one letter from a Member of the House of Lords during this period.
My noble Friend Lord Bach has had a number of meetings with Members of the House of Lords on all sides on various aspects of the Coroners and Justice Bill including proposals by Lord Falconer to reform the law on assisted suicide.
With regard to the issue of legalising assisted suicide, the Government believe that this is an issue of individual conscience and hence a matter for Parliament to decide.
Parliamentary counsel has not been instructed by the Department to draft amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill to be tabled by private Members in the House of Lords.