Today (29 June 2009) Prime Minister Gordon Brown set out the government’s legislative programme and announced details of policy papers that the government will publish over the coming months. With the shortened Parliamentary session before the General Election, Gordon Brown only announced 11 Bills as opposed to the usual 18 to 22. His announcement essentially set out the platform on which Labour will fight the next
General Election. The full document can be found here:http://www.hmg.gov.uk/media/27749/full_document.pdf.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME
Constitutional Renewal Bill
Removing the hereditary principle from the House of Lords; allowing Peers to resign; placing the Civil Service Code on a statutory footing; removing the Prime Minister from the process of making judicial appointments.
Bribery Bill
Providing a new scheme of bribery offences for the public and private sector, at home and abroad; creating a new corporate offence where a business fails to prevent bribery being committed by staff; creating an
offence of bribery of foreign public officials in order to obtain or retain business.
Financial Services and Business Bill
Renewing financial regulation; protecting and supporting consumers; improving efficiency and competition in financial markets; and toughening the regulation of the financial system.
Digital Economy Bill
Delivering a universally available broadband in the UK by 2012; promoting investment in infrastructure and content; establishing new commissioning bodies providing strong multimedia news; changes to the
existing radio licensing regime; action on illegal file sharing and statutory age ratings of computer games.
Energy Bill
Introduce a financial incentive, funded by electricity suppliers, to support up to four Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) commercial-scale demonstration projects.
Flood and Water Management Bill
Implementing the recommendations of the Sir Michael Pitt report; defining the roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in flood risk management; placing a duty on all relevant bodies to co-operate and share information; introduce an improved, risk-based approach to reservoir safety; require developers to include sustainable drainage; increase the scope and flexibility of water companies to restrict non-essential domestic uses of water during droughts; and protecting consumers against a water company becoming insolvent.
Improving Schools and Safeguarding Children Bill
A set of guarantees to an individually tailored education for each child; support head teachers to enforce good behaviour; introduce a new School Report Card; increase the influence of parents over local schools; clarifying the role of Ofsted and other inspectorates; improved monitoring arrangements for children educated at home; and enabling the media to report the substance of family proceedings.
Equality Bill
Banning age discrimination; place duty on Ministers etc to reduce socio-economic inequalities; place a new Equality Duty on public bodies; use the power of public procurement to achieve objectives on equality; reporting on the gender pay gap; and extending the scope of employers to use positive action in selection.
Policing, Crime and Private Security Bill
Cutting police officer red tape; changes to the DNA database; further protecting women from violence; providing greater support to struggling parents; and introducing a compulsory licensing requirement for private wheel clamping businesses.
Child Poverty Bill
Enshrine in law the Government’s commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020; various measures to address child poverty; and the creation of a new commission of experts.
Cluster Munitions Prohibitions Bill
Banning the use, development, production, acquisition, retention, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions and making possible the UK’s ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
DRAFT BILLS
House of Lords Reform Bill
(to introduce a smaller and democratically constituted second chamber)
Antarctica Bill
(enhance environmental protection)
Immigration Simplification Bill
(replace existing Immigration Acts with an single, simplified Act)
Civil Law Reform Bill
(various measures)
Animal Health Responsibility and Cost Sharing Bill
(create mechanisms and means of how responsibilities and costs can be shared between Government and the farming industry for animal disease control).
POLICY PAPERS
The government announced a number of major policy papers that will be
introduced over the coming months.
Planned publications, Summer 2009
Ageing Society Strategy
Care and support Green Paper
Consumer
White Paper
Development White Paper:
Setting out how the Department for International Development’s (DfID) development priorities will respond to challenges from conflict and fragile states, climate change and the economic crisis.
Energy and Climate Change White Paper:
This paper from the Department for Energy and Climate change (DECC) will set out proposals on how the government might adapt the UK’s energy grid to link homes and businesses to new forms of power generation as well as proposals and polices to de-carbonise electricity generation and other energy supplies.
The Road to 2010:
This Cabinet Office paper will set out the government’s approach to the safe expansion of nuclear power in the UK and internationally, on non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament and on international institutional reform, in advance of the upcoming Review Conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2010.
Financial Services Regulation White Paper:
Outlining the Treasury’s proposals for new regulations of financial markets.
Higher Education Framework:
Setting out the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) 10 to 15 year vision for Higher Education.
Life Sciences Blueprint:
Setting out the action BIS has taken to support the UK life sciences industry since the creation of the Office for Life Sciences in January 2009.
Local Democratic Renewal Consultation
Low Carbon Industrial Strategy:
A paper to be shared between DECC and BIS, providing a long-term framework to encourage investment in the sector and to ensure the UK is well placed to locate and develop a low carbon business.
Serious Organised Crime Strategy
Social Investment Wholesale Bank Consultation Paper:
The vision, case and consultation on the function and design of a social investment wholesale bank.
21st Century Schools White Paper:
A Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) White Paper outlining the next stage of schools reform to deliver further improvements in the quality of our education.
Planned Autumn 2009 Publications
Active Transport Strategy:
Joint paper between the Department of Health and the Department of Transport (DfT), setting out how we can encourage different ways of getting around that use less carbon, reduce congestion and promote health and wellbeing.
Families and Relationships Green Paper
Getting Britain Back to Work White Paper
National Cycle Plan:
DfT paper to further promote cycling as a mainstream form of personal transport outlining the role of local authorities, public transport providers, employers and schools.
National Skills Strategy:
A paper from BIS setting out how the department plans to put in place an approach to skills policy which prepares Britain for the upturn, including how further and higher education can promote enterprise and provide clear routes into self employment.
Policing White Paper
Preventative NHS Strategy
