Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he did not intend to “wade into the debate” after he told Labour MPs he planned to vote against legalising assisted dying.

The Government is officially neutral on the Bill and MPs will have a free vote according to their conscience rather than along party lines.

Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill and has been outspoken in support of change, said she felt “distressed” and “deeply disappointed” by news of Mr Streeting’s decision last week.

The Health Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I hadn’t actually intended to wade into the debate last week. I was asked the question at a private meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party by a colleague, and I gave an honest answer.”

Explaining his stance, he said: “I’ve come down this time on voting against the Bill on the basis that I worry about palliative care, end-of-life care, not being good enough to give people a real choice.

“I worry about the risk of people being coerced into taking this route towards the end of their life.

“And I also worry, even where you’ve got really loving families who are very supportive, I really worry about those people who think they’ve almost got a duty to die to relieve the burden on their loved ones, and I’ve had to weigh those issues up against the very powerful arguments on the other side of the argument as well.”

Wes Streeting was asked if he had a message for Dame Esther.

He said: “Just to say that I’ve thought a lot about what she said and what other people have said, who I’ve met with and spoken to or received emails from over the years on this issue.

“I have a huge amount of respect for her and a lot of admiration for the campaign that she is part of.

“I have huge admiration for my colleague, Kim Leadbeater, who’s bringing the Bill forward, and ultimately it will be for Parliament to decide.

“As a Government, we will implement whatever Parliament decides.”