Warning on euthanasia

THE Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that he fears moves towards legalising voluntary euthanasia were being motivated by the need for cost-cutting in healthcare.

Dr Rowan Williams reaffirmed his opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide at the General Synod of the Church of England, which is meeting in York.

He said the provision of palliative care across Britain was "patchy" but establishing a more equal service would be very costly. The archbishop said: "This is not simply a debate about medical ethics, it's also about economic ethics.

"In a climate where the pressure is all towards a functionalised, reduced style of healthcare provision, this [assisted dying] must be a very, very tempting option to save money and resources."

Speaker after speaker at the Synod spoke against the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill, which was introduced by Lord Joffe in the House of Lords last year and is likely to return to parliament later this year.

Many members gave personal accounts of the deaths of terminally ill relatives before the Synod voted resoundingly to continue the Church's opposition.

The debate on the ordination of women bishops is today.