Social policy briefings from House of Commons Library
Read the concise, impartial research briefings prepared for MPs on social policy issues that they’ll need to address in the new Parliament.
The new government’s priorities were set out yesterday in the King’s Speech, with more than 30 new pieces of legislation aiming to tackle issues that range from illegal migration to the nationalisation of railways, from workers’ rights to a regulator for football. Health and social care policy is also key to the legislative agenda – and there is a lot of work to be done.
Photo by Ming Jun Tan
Indeed, Wes Streeting MP, the new Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, made a stark announcement on July 5, soon after the results of the general election were announced. ‘It is now the policy of the Government that our NHS is broken,’ he posted on X. ‘It will be the mission of my department, every member of this government, and the 1.4m people who work in the NHS, to turn our health service around.’
Of course, the first step in tackling such problems is to understand what causes them.
‘Record demand, an ageing population and inflation are all squeezing health and social care,’ begins a briefing on capacity pressures in health and social care in England, prepared by staff at the House of Commons Library. ‘In England, waiting lists for hospital treatment peaked at 7.8 m people in 2023 and delays in discharge are affecting one in eight general and acute hospital beds.’
The briefing then digs into the sources of such pressure on the system such as a decline in productivity and a (linked) need for capital investment, and explores delays to health and social care integration. Links lead to further information and insight.
The result is a concise and helpful guide to the issues to be addressed, of value to MPs and also to anyone with an interest in the sector.
What’s more, this is just one of a series of impartial research briefings prepared for MPs by the House of Commons Library following the general election, as an aid to forthcoming debate and legislation. The briefings are available for everyone to read on the Parliament website – providing a quick and handy guide for us all.
Other topics prepared for the new Parliament include:
The House of Commons Library comprises a team of indexers, librarians, researchers and statisticians, as well as communications and customer service professionals, whose work helps MPs to prepare for debates, scrutinise legislation, develop policies and support their constituents.
The House of Lords Library has also prepared a series of briefings on social policy topics, such as the new government’s commitments on welfare and pensions, covering such matters as disability benefits, a review of universal credit, and child poverty.
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