This Library Note provides background information in advance of the Health and Social Care Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords.
Health and Social Care Bill (HL Bill 92 of 2010-12) (426 KB , PDF)
This Library Note provides information on the Health and Social Care Bill which is due for second reading in the House of Lords on 11 October 2011. It summarises proceedings at the Bill’s final stages in the Commons. The Note is intended to be read in conjunction with the House of Commons Library Research Papers Health and Social Care Bill (27 January 2011, RP11-11), Health and Social Care Bill: Committee Stage Report (6 April 2011, RP11-31) and Health and Social Care (Re-committed) Bill: the NHS Future Forum and the Committee Stage Report (30 August 2011, RP11-63), which provide background information and summarise proceedings in the Commons at second reading and committee stage.
Health and Social Care Bill (HL Bill 92 of 2010-12) (426 KB , PDF)
The bill aims to create a 'smoke-free generation' by banning tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, alongside other measures to tackle smoking and tobacco harms. It would also further regulate vaping, curbing its appeal to children, while enabling adult smokers to use vapes as a quitting tool. The bill is similar to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which fell at dissolution 2024.
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.
