An MS sufferer who has been campaigning for the “right-to-die” will give evidence to a commission on assisted suicide which was announced today.

Debbie Purdy, of Undercliffe, Bradford, said she hopes the commission, chaired by Lord Falconer, will force politicians to face the issue.

The Commission will question whether or not relatives should be able to apply to a judge for permission to assist a loved one to commit suicide.

Lord Falconer was today setting out the aims, announcing the commissioners and issuing a call for evidence.

Miss Purdy won her battle last year after five Law Lords unanimously backed her call for a policy statement from the Director of Public Prosec-utions on the circumstances in which a person might face prosecution for helping a loved one end their life abroad.

She said she was due to give evidence to the Commission on Tuesday, December 14.

She said: “My understanding is that they are trying to put together the most imaginative and extensive information about what are the problems of either changing the law or not changing the law.

“They are trying to investigate fully the consequences of leaving things as they are or making changes.”

Miss Purdy said she was a firm believer that the law on assisted dying, which dates back to 1961, was in need of being looked at again. “I really think it’s a good thing that Lord Falconer has organised this commission,” she said.

“I have got enormous high hopes for it, one being that it’s got some teeth at the end of the day, because I’m fairly sure the political system often uses commissions in order to avoid doing anything rather than to help them do the right thing.

“It is a difficult issue and because it is difficult our politicians don’t necessarily take it on.”