Health and social policy by topic
Health and social policy includes the following topic areas. Please click the links to access lists of publications by topic:
Coronavirus
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Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine: where are we now?
Around one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered around the world. In the UK, more than 35 million people have received at least one dose. The vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, in partnership with AstraZeneca, is one of the major vaccines currently in circulation. This article covers the debate over supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe, as well as the rare blood clotting side-effect reported after a small number of first doses.
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Current Affairs Digest: Coronavirus (May 2021)
Catch up on Covid-19 developments with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month include a closer look at how variants of Covid-19 develop and spread.
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Queen’s Speech: economic affairs, business and Covid-19 recovery
Coronavirus vaccine programmes are improving the economic outlook, but rising cases in some countries are affecting global activity. This article discusses the outlook for key economic variables. It then summarises the Government’s policies for the economy as it recovers from the pandemic. Finally, it lists a number of possible bills or areas for legislation, related to the economy and business, which might feature in the Queen’s speech.
Education
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Current Affairs Digest: Social Policy (May 2021)
Catch up on social affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month ask whether it is time for a new Beveridge report, and how best to make healthy food widely available.
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Queen’s Speech 2021: education
Developments in the education sector have been dominated by mitigating the impacts of Covid-19, including school and university closures. In addition, the Government has announced proposals for legislative change to strengthen freedom of speech in universities and reviews covering a number of areas, such as the regulation of children’s social care, better provision for those with special educational needs and combatting sexual abuse in schools.
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Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Bill
The Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Bill would extend the safeguarding and promotion of child welfare duties that currently apply to schools and colleges to cover all providers of publicly funded post-16 education and training. This would include 16–19 academies, institutions providing specialist educational support and independent learning providers delivering apprenticeship or T-level training. The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the bill on 19 March 2021.
Families and social services
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Current Affairs Digest: Social Policy (May 2021)
Catch up on social affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month ask whether it is time for a new Beveridge report, and how best to make healthy food widely available.
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Commission on Alcohol Harm: ‘It’s Everywhere’—Alcohol’s Public Face and Private Harm
A recent report by the Commission on Alcohol Harm highlighted the damage caused by alcohol abuse. Setting out a number of recommendations, it called for the Government to publish a new comprehensive alcohol strategy. This article provides a brief overview of the report and the Government’s current policy on alcohol.
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Current Affairs Digest: Social and home affairs (March 2021)
Catch up on social and home affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month include a look at poverty in the UK, and how public services use digital technology.
Health
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Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine: where are we now?
Around one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered around the world. In the UK, more than 35 million people have received at least one dose. The vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, in partnership with AstraZeneca, is one of the major vaccines currently in circulation. This article covers the debate over supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe, as well as the rare blood clotting side-effect reported after a small number of first doses.
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Current Affairs Digest: Social Policy (May 2021)
Catch up on social affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month ask whether it is time for a new Beveridge report, and how best to make healthy food widely available.
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Queen’s Speech 2021: health and social care
The 2021 Queen’s Speech is expected to include several health and social care-related measures previously trailed at the start of the 2019–21 session. This article considers recent government announcements on how it plans to progress these in the new session. The Government is also making changes to the public health system in England.
Housing
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Queen’s Speech 2021: housing, communities and local government
Ahead of the Queen’s Speech on 11 May 2021, this briefing outlines previous government policy commitments for housing, communities, and local government. It also examines potential legislation to be introduced in the upcoming parliamentary session.
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Covid-19: housing evictions
The ban on housing evictions, introduced in March 2020, is due to end on 31 May 2021. A think tank has estimated that around 756,000 households are currently behind on their housing payments. They have called on the Government to provide financial help to clear rent arrears as well as reforms to the welfare system. The Government has said it has provided unprecedented financial support for renters during the pandemic.
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Coming Home: Calls for a long-term housing strategy in England
A recent report published by the Church of England has estimated that 8 million people in England are currently living in overcrowded, unaffordable or unsuitable homes. Responding to these issues, the report makes a number of recommendations aimed at actors across the housing sector, including the Government. This article provides a brief overview of the report and the Government’s policies on various housing issues.
Welfare and pensions
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Current Affairs Digest: Social Policy (May 2021)
Catch up on social affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month ask whether it is time for a new Beveridge report, and how best to make healthy food widely available.
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Queen’s Speech 2021: welfare and pensions
This In Focus looks at possible announcements in the Queen’s Speech relating to pensions and benefits. It includes developments connected to universal credit payments and the Government’s proposed national disability strategy, and highlights the possible next steps in pensions legislation following the passing of the Pension Schemes Act 2021.
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Mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis: Uprating compensation payment rates
Mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis are diseases primarily affecting industrial and construction workers. Sufferers are eligible for government compensation schemes if they cannot claim civil damages against their employers. Two sets of regulations would increase the amounts payable by 0.5 percent from 1 April 2021, in line with inflation and the uprating being applied to other disability benefits.
