Allistair Hayman,
Regen.net,
18 November 2009
A legal duty to eradicate child poverty and new laws to crack down on parents of children who break antisocial behaviour orders are two measures to be included in the Government's next legislative programme, the Queen said this morning.
In a well-trailed Queen’s Speech, the Queen said her Government’s "overriding priority" was to "ensure sustained growth to deliver a fair and prosperous economy for families and businesses, as the British economy recovers from the global economic downturn".
She said: "By the active creation of jobs, restructuring the financial sector, strengthening the national infrastructure and providing responsible investment, my government will foster growth and employment."
The Queen said the programme would include a Child Poverty Bill, a Crime and Security Bill, an Education and Families Bill, an Equality Bill, and a Digital Economy Bill.
However, with parliamentary time running short before an election due in May next year, not all of the 14 bills are expected to make it to the statute book.
KEY BILLS:
Child Poverty Bill: Aims to impose a new legal duty on the government to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Four income targets covering the proportion of children living in relative poverty, material deprivation, persistent poverty and absolute low income will have to be met by 2020. The bill requires the Government to publish a UK child poverty strategy detailing how it will achieve the goal. It will also establish a child poverty commission to advise ministers and publish annual progress reports to parliament.
Crime and Security Bill: Will legislate to ensure parents of all young people who breach an antisocial behaviour order face a parenting order. The Queen said this was to ensure parents take responsibility for their children’s antisocial behaviour and to tackle youth gang crime. In October the Prime Minister said: "Every time a young person breaches an Asbo, there will be an order, not just on them but on their parents, and if that is broken they will pay the price." He also said that each of the 50,000 most chaotic families in the UK would be subject to family intervention projects to provide them with intensive support.
Education and Families Bill: Aims to bolster the secretary of state's powers to intervene and close failing schools. All councils will have to conduct an annual survey of parents on the provision of local secondary schools – and in areas where they are unhappy, local authorities will have to intervene. The Bill also provides new guarantees for parents and pupils to ensure schools raise education standards.
Equality Bill: Will place a duty on all public bodies to consider how their policies will work to reduce inequality and meet the needs of different social groups. Large employers will also be required to report on gender pay gaps if voluntary progress not made.
Digital Economy Bill: Legislates to commit the Government to universally available broadband in the UK by 2012 through a public fund. This includes a 50 pence per month tax on telephone lines.
