• In Focus

    Prostate cancer: Tests for men at the highest risk

    Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in men aged over 45 in England, with higher risks linked to ageing, Black ethnicity, and family history. However, there is currently no UK-wide screening programme. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests can detect early signs but have limitations. This briefing covers current testing guidelines, and calls for change, including targeted screening and awareness campaigns. It also outlines government policy and the TRANSFORM trial aiming to improve early detection.

  • Research Briefing

    Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: HL Bill 112 of 2024–25

    The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow adults in England and Wales with a prognosis of less than six months to live to be provided with assistance to end their lives, subject to eligibility criteria and conditions. It is a private member’s bill that was introduced in the House of Commons by Kim Leadbeater (Labour MP for Spen Valley). It completed its passage through the Commons in June 2025. Its second reading in the House of Lords is due to take place on 12 September 2025.

  • In Focus

    World’s first personalised DNA editing treatment

    US scientists have used a breakthrough therapy to edit an infant’s DNA and correct a life-threatening mutation. Preliminary results suggest the approach may have been successful, potentially paving the way for addressing a range of genetic diseases. This briefing investigates this cutting-edge technology and considers the key challenges of regulatory approval and high costs.

  • Research Briefing

    Universal Credit Bill: HL Bill 123 of 2024–25

    The Universal Credit Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 10 July 2025. It is due to receive its second reading and remaining stages on 22 July 2025. It is a government bill that was originally introduced in the House of Commons with the title Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. The speaker of the House of Commons has designated the bill as a money bill. Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party) has tabled a non-fatal amendment to regret the motion to give the bill a second reading in the House of Lords.

  • In Focus

    Creating a national accident prevention strategy

    Highlighting the human and economic costs of accidents, and rising rates of accidental deaths in the UK, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has called for the government to create a national accident prevention strategy. RoSPA argues that currently, responsibility for accident prevention is too fragmented. The government has not yet commented on this proposal.

  • In Focus

    Competition for specialist training programmes in the NHS: Sector views and the government’s plans for resident doctor training posts

    In recent years, resident doctors (formerly known as junior doctors) have faced increased competition for specialty training roles. Doctors can apply for specialty training after completing two years of foundation placements. While NHS England is in the process of reviewing postgraduate training for medics, the government’s new 10 year plan for the NHS has pledged to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty training. The plan also included an ambition to create more specialist posts.

  • Research Briefing

    Planning and Infrastructure Bill: HL Bill 110 of 2024–25

    The Planning and Infrastructure Bill would make changes to the system for approving major infrastructure projects, planning committees and nature recovery. It would also make changes to electricity and transport infrastructure processes, development corporations, spatial development strategies, and compulsory purchase. The government intends the bill to help grow the economy by enabling important infrastructure and homes to be built more quickly. Some parts of the bill, particularly those related to nature recovery, have attracted criticism from opposition parties and external bodies.

  • In Focus

    Music education in state schools

    Music forms part of the national curriculum up to key stage 3. Recent statistics show increases in GCSE music entries in summer 2025 compared to the previous academic year, but there has also been a drop in A-level entries in the same period. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the quality of music provision in schools and the difficulties faced by children from more deprived areas in accessing music education.

  • In Focus

    Cardiovascular disease: What is the government doing about England’s leading cause of premature death?

    Premature deaths from cardiovascular disease were decreasing until 2019, but have since risen. The government has said it aims to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and strokes by 25% within a decade. While local authorities must commission ‘health checks’ to assess risk factors in 40- to 74-year-olds, the National Audit Office found variable delivery, uptake and regional inequalities. Health organisations have called for a dedicated strategy on cardiovascular disease.

  • In Focus

    Dyscalculia: Identifying and supporting students with special educational needs

    Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the understanding of number-based information. Schools in England are responsible for identifying any special educational needs (SEN) arising from such learning difficulties, and initial teacher training from September 2025 will contain more content related to supporting children with SEN. However, campaigners highlight there remains no specific requirement for teachers to learn about dyscalculia and argue awareness of the learning difficulty remains low.

  • Research Briefing

    Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: HL Bill 96 of 2024–25

    The government has committed to reducing and reclaiming public money lost to fraud and error. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill contains provisions to extend Cabinet Office and Public Sector Fraud Authority powers to tackle fraud and error outside the tax and benefits system, and also expands powers to tackle fraud within the benefits system. The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 15 May 2025.

  • In Focus

    Antisemitism on university campuses

    The Community Security Trust, a UK charity that works to protect Jews from antisemitism and other threats, has reported a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on UK university campuses following the start of the current conflict in the Middle East. This briefing provides background information on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and its adoption by UK universities, before concluding with a summary of recent government policy to tackle antisemitism in the higher education sector.

  • In Focus

    NHS staff access to single-sex spaces

    The House of Lords is due to discuss NHS staff access to single-sex spaces on 1 May 2025. Following a recent Supreme Court judgment about the meaning of the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued an interim update on 25 April 2025 about the implications of this for workplaces and services provided to the public.

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