内容摘要：The government expressed concerns about the timeline for implementing assisted dying, the BBC understands, before measures were tabled to delay when it could be available.

The government expressed concerns about the timeline for implementing assisted dying, the BBC understands, before measures were tabled to delay when it could be available.

But supporters point out the majority of 55 in favour at the last vote was more than they expected and meant they were confident the bill would pass its remaining stages in Parliament.The Scottish Parliament has given its initial backing to legislation to legalise assisted dying.

A bill tabled by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur passed its first parliamentary vote by 70 to 56, with one abstention.But there is still a way to go if it is to become law, and that is not a guaranteed outcome.A number of MSPs who voted for the proposal voiced reservations and said they wanted to see changes made.

How did the debate play out, and where does it go from here?It is a landmark moment at Holyrood as the parliament has taken a step closer to legalising assisted dying.

It's a huge result for supporters of the legislation - 70 votes in favour is better even than what McArthur's team had been expecting.

And it underlines the change that has taken place in parliament - it's almost double the number of MSPs (36) who backed the last proposal tabled at Holyrood 10 years ago.When I met Elliot he was one of those people keen to enter the workforce after finishing his education.

But now he’s lost hope. So what went wrong?On leaving school, Elliot had initially been offered a place at a college near home, which his parents said was “wholly inappropriate”. It was for three days a week and designed for people with autism, but Elliot is not autistic. So they took their local authority, North Tyneside Council, to a tribunal.

For disabled people, there can be stark differences in access to quality education.A study from the Education Policy Institute think tank found there were “deeply concerning” inconsistencies in how children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are supported, while disabled individuals are three times less likely to hold any qualifications than their non-disabled peers and face disproportionate barriers to access higher education.