Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament
114,982 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 4 February 2026; it closed on 4 August 2026. The Government responded on 26 February 2026. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 8 June 2026.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Act to ensure Bills backed by MPs & public can complete all stages in Parliament
We want the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the public, they have the time to complete all their stages in Parliament. We believe this is important to uphold democracy.
We believe the decision of MPs must be respected, especially on matters of social change, and that unelected Lords have a responsibility to scrutinise bills, not block them. With over 1,000 amendments tabled to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, most by just a handful of Lords, we are concerned that it will run out of time. MPs have voted for it and a poll has found over 70% of the public back it. While the Government is neutral, it must uphold democracy. We believe it must act so the Bill can progress.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 26 February 2026; the petitions site lists the Cabinet Office as responsible. Its summary:
Parliament is the supreme legislative authority in the UK and is responsible for making law. A Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament to become law.
The response in full:
Parliamentary sovereignty is a fundamental principle of the UK’s constitutional settlement. This means that it is Parliament, not the Government, that holds the power to make or repeal any law. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons as a Private Member’s Bill (PMB), and on the question of assisted dying, the Government has remained neutral on the Bill throughout its parliamentary stages.
The primacy of the House of Commons, as the elected House, is an established constitutional principle, and is reflected in the provisions of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, which reduced the House of Lords’ power to delay legislation against the will of the Commons.
The House of Lords is independent of both the House of Commons and the Government. The Government respects the important role played by the Lords in scrutinising legislation according to the conventions and procedures of the Lords.
As the Leader of the House of Commons has said, once the House of Lords have completed their scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Government will, if necessary, find time in this current session for the House of Commons to consider any amendments they propose.
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from South Devon, with 6.4 signatures per 1,000 electors (460 in all).
114,014 of the signatures were from the UK and 968 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Devon | 460 | 72,261 | 6.4 |
| West Dorset | 399 | 75,998 | 5.3 |
| Hove and Portslade | 388 | 74,063 | 5.2 |
| St Ives | 365 | 69,978 | 5.2 |
| Arundel and South Downs | 400 | 77,969 | 5.1 |
| Lewes | 386 | 76,166 | 5.1 |
| Torridge and Tavistock | 373 | 74,727 | 5.0 |
| Glastonbury and Somerton | 358 | 73,268 | 4.9 |
| Honiton and Sidmouth | 370 | 75,537 | 4.9 |
| Isle of Wight East | 266 | 55,855 | 4.8 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 21,990 |
| South West | 15,805 |
| East of England | 13,003 |
| North West | 11,199 |
| London | 9,420 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 9,379 |
| West Midlands | 9,205 |
| East Midlands | 9,020 |
| Wales | 6,472 |
| North East | 4,723 |
| Scotland | 1,655 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,195 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 8 June 2026. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/752673.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
da9d21f10cb54dd7… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.