This House of Lords Library Briefing provides an overview of the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill which is due to receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 23 November 2018.
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (333 KB , PDF)
The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill is a private member’s bill which would provide for an opt-out consent system for organ and tissue donation in England. Under this system, an adult would be deemed to have consented to organ and tissue donation before their death unless they have expressly stated that they do not wish to be a donor or an exception applies. However, the bill would not apply to all organs and tissues, with those transplants which are currently rare or that many may not regard as novel to be excluded in regulations set out by the Secretary of State. In addition, the bill does not propose any changes to organ donation rules for children under 18 or people who have expressly decided on consent before their death.
The bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 19 July 2017 by Geoffrey Robinson (Labour MP for Coventry North West). The bill received its second reading on 23 February 2018 and completed its stages with cross-party support in the House of Commons on 26 October 2018. The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 29 October 2018 and is due to have its second reading on 23 November 2018 under the sponsorship of Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour). Although it is not a government bill, the Department of Health and Social Care has produced the bill’s explanatory notes, with the consent of Lord Hunt.
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (333 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.
On 12 November 2024 the government announced it would co-develop a new national youth strategy with young people. Alongside this, the government said that it would be closing the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme. The announcement of the new national strategy has been broadly welcomed, but concern has been expressed by some organisations about the closure of the NCS and funding challenges faced by the sector more widely.
