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Preparing Britain for the future – the draft legislative programme 2008/09

14 May 2008
CAB052/08

People across the East Midlands are being asked to contribute their thoughts on proposed legislation that the Government will bring before Parliament in the next session.

The 2008/09 draft legislative programme – Preparing Britain for the Future – has been published as a green paper today by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Now the people of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are being asked to make their voices heard on whether these are the right issues on which the Government should focus its efforts.

Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope welcomed the beginning of the formal public consultation and said it was an important process to hear what people in all communities thought about the Government's proposals.

The Minister said:

“The East Midlands has enormous potential as a region and the legislation proposed today will help us to make the most of it.

“Giving people the right to ask for time off to train will boost our skilled workforce, breaking the low skills-low wages cycle that holds so many people back. Eliminating under-performing schools by 2011 will set our region on the right path for the future. In addition, allowing police to focus on fighting crime rather than filling out forms will help make the East Midlands a safer place to live.

“This programme is all about putting the focus of government services back on the people who use them, and over the next few weeks I'll be talking to people across the region to find out what they think our priorities should be.”

There are four themes that encompass the 17 proposed bills and other non-legislative action:

• Economic stability: the Government's primary focus is to ensure that it supports a stable economy and that downward pressure is kept on inflation and mortgage rates. Immediate support for housing will be set out by the purchase and rent of unsold new homes and giving first time buyers and health workers access to shared equity schemes.
  The Government also proposes legislation on:
  • savings gateway bill: to give 8 million people on low incomes access to national savings, with the Government making a pound for pound matching payment
  • banking reform bill: to strengthen depositor protection and deal with banks in difficulties

• Making the most of your potential: the Government aims to build a fairer Britain by ensuring that people make the most of their abilities.
  The Government proposes:
  • right to time off to train: to consult on giving employees the right to request time off to train
  • welfare reform: to modernise the benefit system with a duty on the unemployed to have their skills needs assessed and improve the support available to people who can work to take advantage of the considerable help on offer to them
  • agency workers: to bring forward legislation that will for the first time ensure fair treatment of agency workers in Britain, subject to agreement in Europe
  • flexible working: consult on how to implement recommendations to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older teenage children.

• Personalisation and improvement of public services: public services like hospitals and schools will be tailored around people's needs, not the provider's.
  The Government proposes:
  • education and skills: to support our plan to, by 2011, eliminate all under-performing schools and strengthen the accountability of schools to parents
  • NHS constitution: a new NHS reform bill with a NHS constitution that sets out what patients in every region of the country can expect to get from the NHS, what we expect to give them in return and put more power in the hands of patients
  • policing and crime reduction: for directly elected representatives to give local people more control over policing priorities and responsiveness, and plans to allow police-time now spent on paperwork to be spent on the beat
  • anti social behaviour – reclaim public places and tackle binge and underage drinking by tougher enforcement and penalties

• Handing power back to the people: building a fairer Britain means handing more power to communities; taking tough action on illegal immigration.
  The Government proposes:
  • community empowerment bill: the right to directly influence decisions about priorities for spending in the local area
  • citizenship and immigration bill: with a tougher test for earned citizenship – including requiring newcomers to learn English

East Midlands Minister Phil Hope will be consulting with interested parties from the business community, local government, third sector and wider public from now until 6 August 2008.

The final programme of legislation for the 2008-09 Session will be published in the Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament towards the end of this year.

Notes to editors

In the East Midlands people will be able to contribute in lots of different ways:

1. An outline of the DLP can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/draftprogramme [External website]. A more detailed analysis of it, including the opportunity to comment on the proposals, can be made online at: www.CommonsLeader.gov.uk/draftprogramme [External website].
2. The website contains an easy to read form of this green paper and access to a You Tube channel. It also contains details of regional events being held by Regional Ministers. During the consultation period, this will feature videos of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Commons and other Ministers talking about the DLP.
3. The Leader of the House of Commons and other Cabinet Ministers will take part in interactive online question and answer sessions (webchats). Details of these will also be published on the website.
4. A summary leaflet setting out the themes and bills of the DLP, which also gives the public details of how to find out more and the methods of submitting comments, is available on the website, or in paper copy on request. Copies will also be available in public libraries.

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