Health: End-of-life Care — Question

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:00 pm on 16 January 2012.

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Photo of Lord Walton of Detchant Lord Walton of Detchant Crossbench 3:00, 16 January 2012

My Lords, what evidence do the Government have regarding the number of elderly people in the population who have taken advantage, as I have, of signing an advance directive and lodging it with my general practitioner to specify what forms of treatment I would and would not wish to have if I became incompetent? What is the present position of the legal right of an individual to specify while competent a proxy who could fulfil a similar role if the individual in turn became incompetent?