The Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Moylan (Conservative). It is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2024. It would require the secretary of state to publish an annual report on complications from abortions in England.
Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill [HL] (344 KB , PDF)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) publishes annual statistics on abortion, including the rate of complications, based on information that abortion providers are required to report through the abortion notification system. However, there are limitations with this data. In November 2023, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published analysis comparing the abortion complication rate indicated by the abortion notification system data with that indicated by hospital episode statistics, a separate data source. The Conservative government said this was a one-off analysis. Lord Moylan has said that the purpose of the bill is to require a similar report to be published annually.
Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill [HL] (344 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.
