13 July 2007
Councils and other public service leaders rushed to unpick the substance of the government's forthcoming legislative plans as the prime minister broke with tradition and set out much of his programme.
In an effort to foster more open government, Gordon Brown invited debate on a list of proposed measures four months ahead of the Queen's Speech.
Housing and planning dominated the announcement in line with Brown's avowed aim of a rapid extension of affordable housing. 'Putting affordable housing within the reach… of the many is vital both to meeting individual aspirations and a better future for our country,' he told the Commons on July 11.
Another announcement was an educational opportunity Bill, which will require all young people to stay in education or training until they are 18, a proposal originally included in a green paper published in March.
Les Lawrence, chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, welcomed the move but said: 'Questions remain around attendance support, funding and the provision of courses that young people actually want to do: in particular, how proposals will engage those most alienated young people who are most likely to drop out of education.'
John Brennan, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said the Bill would drive a revolution in national attitudes to learning but added that government, employers and families must all play their part.
Other plans announced included a Climate Change Bill, which will introduce carbon emission reduction targets; the Child Maintenance Bill, which will set up the Child Support Agency's successor body; and an Unclaimed Assets Bill, which will plough the money held in dormant bank accounts into community facilities.
A Health and Social Care Bill would create one regulator for both health and social care services. David Rogers, chair of the Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'If this all-encompassing inspectorate is to relieve councils of the burden of bureaucracy, then it must reflect the joined-up culture and attitude of local government in its work.'
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