Reeves says assisted dying unlikely to hit public finances

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she believes the Assisted Dying Bill will not cost the government more money if enacted.

Last month, MPs approved the first stages of a bill to allow terminally ill adults to seek help to end their life if they are eligible and have made their decision voluntarily.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, an opponent of the bill, has previously suggested the proposals might have to be funded through cuts to other services and has directed officials to examine what the plan might cost.

Speaking to BBC 5 Live 's Matt Chorley, Reeves - who voted for the bill - said: "I'm not convinced assisted dying is going to result in higher costs on the public purse."

Despite repeated questioning, Reeves would not be drawn further on how the policy might be funded if it is passed.

When asked if she was willing to "stump up the money" or charge users of assisted dying, Ms Reeves said: "The committee stage and the scrutiny of the bill will answer those questions, the government is neutral on the issue."

"The bill will now go through its proper scrutiny process in the House of Commons," she added.

Last month, speaking to the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, Streeting said: "I've asked my department to look at the costs that would be associated with providing a new service to enable assisted dying to go forward."

The health department said it had not begun a formal review, but assessing the impact of potential new legislation was "regular policy work".

MPs are due to begin detailed scrutiny of the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill soon, after it passed its first vote in the House of Commons on 29 November.

There are still many parliamentary hurdles the bill must clear before it becomes law, and further rounds of voting.

During last month's debate, some MPs suggested they might oppose the bill in future votes without stronger safeguards against coercion.

If it successfully navigates this process, the law could change to allow some terminally ill adults expected to die within six months to seek help to end their own life.

Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the bill, told the Commons there would a period of up to two years before any new law was implemented because "it is more important to get this right than to do it quickly".

But it is also possible the bill could fall and not become law at all.

The measure was introduced by Labour MP Leadbeater as a private member's bill, which is a way for backbenchers to bring forward new laws in addition to the government's agenda.

MPs were given a free vote, meaning they could make a decision based on their own conscience rather than having to follow a party line.

In the end, MPs backed the principle of the bill by 330 votes to 275.

Reeves was among 15 members of the Cabinet, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who voted for the bill - while eight Cabinet colleagues voted against it.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch voted against, while her predecessor ex-Conservative PM Rishi Sunak voted in favour.