Overview

This bill mandates that the UK government assess the potential impact of international trade and investment treaties on the National Health Service (NHS) and secure exemptions to protect the NHS from adverse effects.

Description

The International Trade and Investment (NHS Protection) Bill aims to safeguard the NHS from the negative consequences of international trade agreements. It introduces three key duties for the Secretary of State:

• Duty to Assess: At least three months before signing an international trade or investment treaty, the Secretary of State must assess the treaty's potential impact on NHS funding, operations, and development; whether dispute resolution mechanisms would be binding on the NHS; and the effect of such mechanisms on the NHS.
• Duty to Secure Exemption: If the assessment reveals that a treaty could significantly and adversely affect the NHS, the government must secure an exemption for the NHS from that treaty.
• Duty to Report: At least two months before signing a treaty, the Secretary of State must present a report to Parliament detailing the assessment and any secured exemptions.

The bill defines the NHS across all four UK nations and mandates that the bill applies to all four nations.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending but will likely involve costs associated with conducting assessments and securing exemptions from international treaties. The exact figures aren't provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

The primary group affected is the NHS across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The bill aims to protect the NHS from potentially detrimental impacts of international trade agreements. The UK government is also affected, as it is tasked with fulfilling the duties outlined in the bill. International trade partners may be impacted by the requirement for NHS exemptions in trade agreements.

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