Sarah Barber

This page has been prepared ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall on Thursday 24 October at 3pm. The debate will be opened by Jim Shannon MP. Health policy is devolved, and this page focuses primarily on policy and statistics on diabetes in England.

Boris Johnson's Government have negotiated a new 'deal' with the European Union. It is formed of a Political Declaration and a Withdrawal Agreement. This paper focuses on the Withdrawal Agreement and how it compares to the one negotiated by Theresa May's Government in November 2018. The main differences are in the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland or the 'backstop' as it is commonly known. It contains very different arrangements, the UK will no longer be in a single customs territory or union with the EU. The UK will no longer be legally bound to continue with level playing field commitments at the end of the transition period. Northern Ireland will still be in the UK's customs territory and VAT area, however, the region will align with the EU's rules in these areas. Northern Ireland will remain mostly aligned to the EU's regulations for goods. Four years after the end of the transition period Northern Ireland's democratic institutions will vote on whether they wish to continue the arrangements in the Protocol.

MPs will debate Baby Loss Awareness on Tuesday 8 October. This House of Commons Library Debate Pack provides background information and press and parliamentary coverage of the issues.

Between now and the end of 2020 more than 50 million new energy ‘smart meters’ are being rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller non-domestic sites in Great Britain.

This briefing paper provides an overview on mesh implant use in surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, and recent action to halt these procedures. It also briefly discusses the use of mesh in hernia repair surgery.

A general debate will be held in Westminster Hall on Thursday 5 September on hernia mesh in men. The debate will be opened by Jim Shannon MP.

A general debate will be held in the Commons Chamber on Tuesday 23 July 2019 on body image and mental health. The Library has compiled a reading list.

This House of Commons Library briefing analyses early intervention policies aimed at parents and children from conception to age five, covering health, education, social development and financial benefits. This paper also looks at broader arguments around early intervention as a policy approach.

This briefing looks in detail at the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the EU and UK and finalised on 14 November 2018. It was endorsed by EU Member State leaders at a special European Council summit on 25 November and the UK Prime Minister promoted it in the UK Parliament and around the country. The Agreement was debated at length in Parliament on several occasions and has been voted on three times. But the House of Commons has not endorsed it. A second extension of Article 50 took exit day to 31 October 2019, but once again the UK is faced with the possibility of leaving the EU without an agreement if this agreement or another one is not ratified by the UK and the EU.

A debate will take place in the Commons Chamber on 4 July 2019 on the functioning of the existing law relating to assisted dying. The debate will be led by Nick Boles, Sarah Champion and Norman Lamb.

A debate will take place in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 2 July on acquired brain injury. The debate will be led by Chris Bryant MP. A debate on a similar subject took place on 9 May 2019 and some of the key points are noted below, along with a recent question to the Prime Minister on the subject by Mr Bryant.

This debate pack has been prepared ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm on 10 June 2019 on access to Orkambi and other drugs for people with cystic fibrosis. The subject for the debate has been selected by the Petitions Committee in relation to an e-petition.

This pack has been prepared ahead of the debate to be held in Westminster Hall at 1.30pm on Thursday 23 May 2019 on supporting clinical trials and the UK’s future clinical research capability. The subject for the debate has been selected by the Backbench Business Committee and the debate will be opened by Chris Green MP.