The Queen’s speech today gave proposals for 20 new Bills and four draft Bills when it was delivered in Parliament today.
Overhauling the secondary school system would appear to be the Prime Ministers top priority, with intentions to create more city academies, and legislation permitting the private sector, voluntary groups and religious organisations to run their own schools.
Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris today welcomed the announcement in the Queen’s Speech of the introduction of the Education Bill during this Parliamentary Session.
The Education Bill will form part of the Government’s plans to raise standards throughout the education system, by enabling the creation of a more diverse system of secondary education, in which every school has a distinct ethos, mission and character.
Proposals for change were set out in the Green Paper ‘Schools Building on Success’ published on 12 February 2001 (PN79/2001)
The speech included the themes on developing entrepreneurial spirit outlined earlier this week by Chancellor Gordon Brown.
On crime, there are plans for a new Police Bill to modernise and reform the service as well as instigating a new complaints procedure to allay increasing public concerns over the existing procedures. Measures will also be included to increase powers to seize criminals assets, to increase powers in fighting corruption and higher control of sex offenders. Controversially, the speech also included plans to abolish the double jeopardy rules preventing retrials of people acquitted of murder; provided new evidence emerges.
The remaining peers in the House of Lords should have their parliamentary powers and duties withdrawn under plans for further reformation of the House of Lords which shouls see other members of the second house made by appointment and through elections.
Under a planned NHS reform Bill, 75% of NHS spending is expected to return to “health professionals” – doctors, nurses and other employees of the NHS.
The speech also included plans for another attempt at banning hunting with dogs when MPs are expected to be given a free vote.
Read the full text of the Queen’s speech
What would you have put in the Queen’s speech?
