By David Williams
25 May 2010
The coalition government has set out its legislative programme for the next 18 months, with 23 Bills ‘based upon the principles of freedom, fairness, and responsibility’.
At the state opening of Parliament this morning, the Queen said the government’s first priority would be to reduce the deficit and restore growth.
The speech confirmed the establishment of an Office for Budget Responsibility to ‘provide confidence in the management of the public finances’.
However, there were a range of commitments around the provision of public services, including a pledge to increase the role of social enterprises, charities and co-operatives.
Education reforms announced today include the opportunity for more schools to achieve academy status – allowing them more autonomy from local education authorities – and for new providers to run state schools.
Teachers are promised more control over the school curriculum, while doctors will be given more say over decision-making in the NHS.
In local government, the Queen announced more powers for councils – but ‘neighbourhoods’, not authorities, will be given control over housing and planning. A separate Bill will stop moves to create new unitary authorities in Exeter and Norwich.
There were commitments to ‘modernise’ the Royal Mail, to allow it to ‘benefit from private capital’, and for more investment in high-speed rail and broadband internet connections.
The Queen’s Speech set out plans to make the benefits system ‘fairer and simpler’, with new sanctions for claimants who refuse to take jobs offered to them.
There is also to be a review of the timetables set out by the previous government for increasing the state pension age. Existing plans are for the women’s retirement age to be brought up to 65 by 2020, to bring it in line with the age for men, and then to raise the retirement age to 68 by 2046.
25 May 2010
The coalition government has set out its legislative programme for the next 18 months, with 23 Bills ‘based upon the principles of freedom, fairness, and responsibility’.
At the state opening of Parliament this morning, the Queen said the government’s first priority would be to reduce the deficit and restore growth.
The speech confirmed the establishment of an Office for Budget Responsibility to ‘provide confidence in the management of the public finances’.
However, there were a range of commitments around the provision of public services, including a pledge to increase the role of social enterprises, charities and co-operatives.
Education reforms announced today include the opportunity for more schools to achieve academy status – allowing them more autonomy from local education authorities – and for new providers to run state schools.
Teachers are promised more control over the school curriculum, while doctors will be given more say over decision-making in the NHS.
In local government, the Queen announced more powers for councils – but ‘neighbourhoods’, not authorities, will be given control over housing and planning. A separate Bill will stop moves to create new unitary authorities in Exeter and Norwich.
There were commitments to ‘modernise’ the Royal Mail, to allow it to ‘benefit from private capital’, and for more investment in high-speed rail and broadband internet connections.
The Queen’s Speech set out plans to make the benefits system ‘fairer and simpler’, with new sanctions for claimants who refuse to take jobs offered to them.
There is also to be a review of the timetables set out by the previous government for increasing the state pension age. Existing plans are for the women’s retirement age to be brought up to 65 by 2020, to bring it in line with the age for men, and then to raise the retirement age to 68 by 2046.
