This House of Lords Library briefing provides background reading on what further action the Government is taking to reduce the incidence of smoking-related diseases, in advance of the question for short debate on 14 September 2016.
Smoking Related Diseases: Government Action (106 KB , PDF)
On 14 September 2016, the House of Lords will debate what further action the Government is taking to reduce the incidence of smoking-related diseases. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) estimates that 476,000 people were admitted to hospital for conditions caused by smoking in 2014–15. In 2014, an estimated 78,000 deaths, it said, were attributable to smoking. The NHS explains that smoking can affect many aspects of a smoker’s health, including the circulatory system, stomach, skin, bone density, brain, mouth and throat, fertility and lungs. It has estimated that smoking causes 84 percent of deaths from lung cancer and 83 percent of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the prevalence of smoking is decreasing, according to the HSCIC. In 1974, an estimated 46 percent of adults in Great Britain smoked: in 2014 this figure stood at 19 percent.
Smoking Related Diseases: Government Action (106 KB , PDF)
In October 2024, a report from the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee concluded that poor-quality diets were contributing to an obesity crisis in England. It said that successive governments had failed to tackle the issue, and more regulation was now needed. This briefing summarises the committee’s recommendations, the government’s response in January 2025, and reaction to both reports.
On 9 March, the Covid-19 Day of Reflection 2025 took place to mark five years since the start of the pandemic in the UK. This briefing has been prepared ahead of a debate in the House of Lords focused on the support available to those bereaved because of Covid-19. It outlines the help available for families and sets out background information on the Covid-19 Day of Reflection, as well as the UK Covid-19 inquiry.
Gaza’s healthcare system is in crisis. Most facilities are damaged beyond use, and those remaining open face shortages of water, fuel and medical supplies. Gaza’s 1.9 million displaced people are at risk of malnutrition, starvation and the spread of infectious diseases. The UK government has called for civilians and medics to be protected, for aid and relief agencies to have consistent access, and for an end to the conflict.
