THE Commission on Assisted Dying was set up to address the "unresolved public policy issue" of assisted suicide in the UK.

In practice its recommendations are concerned with legislation in England and Wales.

The body was established in 2010 as a result of concerns about the growing number of Britons paying to end their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.

In addition, a statement by England's Director of Public Prosecutions – following a number of highly publicised right-to-die legal battles – appeared to have decriminalised "amateur" assistance to die by distinguishing between compassionate and malicious actions.

Although describing itself as an independent body, questions have been raised about how impartial the commission can be when it was set up using funding from novelist Terry Pratchett and River Island tycoon Bernard Lewis, both advocates of assisted dying.

Administrative and research support has also been provided by the left-wing think tank, Demos, while Lord Falconer – the peer appointed to lead the commission – has described the law on assisted dying as "no longer fit".

However, the commission said it would "act entirely independently and the commission alone will be responsible for its conclusions. The commission will be independent from Demos and the funders."

It has 11 members, including MPs, and medical, religious and hospice experts. Only one said he would not back the recommendation to change the law.