A private members bill proposing to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales will have its second reading this month.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill put forward by Labour MP, Kim Leadbeater, will be debated in parliament on 29 November. However, a similar bill is already under discussion in Scotland, but what position is it in?

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was drafted by Liberal Democrat MSP, Liam McArthur, and introduced back in March. However, the bill is still under examination by the committee of Health, Social Care and Sport and is not expected to be voted on until early next year.

A poll carried out by Opinium Research showed that around three quarters of adults in the UK support assisted dying legislation.

Despite both MPs and MSPs being granted a free vote on the issue, some senior figures have spoken out against the bill including the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood and the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who has warned that the proposed new law could come at the expense of other NHS services.

So, should the bill pass? Those in favour argue that the law as it stands denies people autonomy in their lives, condemning them to suffering and leaving family members facing prosecution should they choose to help their loved ones to die. On the other side of the debate, it is argued that life is precious, vulnerable people could face social pressure to end their lives, and that the role of doctors would change, leaving opportunity for abuse of power.

Assisted dying is legal, at least to some extent, in 11 nations including Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland with at least 200 million people allowed to make the choice.

Leadbeater, who is the first MP to propose a private members bill this parliament has said that the legislation is the “most robust” in the world.