ACS

The Queens Speech took place today. Many of the announcements have already been commented on in the last year but their inclusion in the Queens Speech shows the Government’s commitment to implementing them in 2009.

Announcements included;

Banking Bill

Banks will face unlimited fines for failing to treat their customers fairly, with ministers making the current voluntary code of practice legally binding. The Banking Bill will also strengthen the framework for protecting bank depositors and enhance financial stability through measures to reduce the likelihood of banks getting into difficulties.

Business Rates Supplements Bill

Local authorities are to gain the power to levy a local supplement to the business rate and retain the proceeds for economic development. The provisions of the Bill would enable local authorities that wish to levy the first supplements to do so by April 2010.
Authorities will be able to set a supplement on the current national business rate of up to 2p per pound of rateable value. The Bill makes provision to exempt business properties with a rateable value of £50,000 or less.

Children, Skills and Learning Bill

This Bill will provide an apprenticeship place for a “suitably qualified” young person from 2013. This combines the draft Education and Skills Bill with the draft Apprenticeships Bill launched earlier in the year.

There has also been an announcement that, following the consultation on time to train, the right for employees to request time off work to train will be enshrined in law. ACS fed into this consultation calling for support for small businesses. In response it has been announced that there is some Government help for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. They can receive a wage subsidy when releasing eligible employees for training through the Government's training programme 'Train to Gain'. You can get further advice on this from http://www.traintogain.gov.uk.

Coroner and Justice Bill

This Bill aims to ensure that victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system and proposes a more consistent and transparent sentencing framework.
• Encourage community led solutions to crime problems
• A £5m community crime fighters programme to train 3,600 members of the public who are already active in their community and who want to do more to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
• For those citizens who intervene in crimes the law will be made more in their favour than the criminal who they were attempting to apprehend.
• The Bill also explicitly states that criminals will be stopped from profiting from their crimes.

Equality Bill

The Equality Bill will consolidate nine existing equality laws into one. The Bill will allow businesses to positively discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minority candidates of equal ability, as part of the government’s first targets to close the gender pay gap.

Contracts which contain clauses preventing workers from discussing what they earn will also be outlawed in a bid to promote greater transparency.

New powers will also enable employment tribunals to tackle discrimination by making recommendations to employers on diversifying their organisation. The Bill also strengthens current legislation on age-discrimination with a focus on protecting the vast proportion of the population approaching retirement age.

Health Bill

The Queen mentioned in her speech that there would be measures relating to public health. ACS is expecting this Bill to be elaborated on soon and for the Government to include their decisions on tobacco display.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill;

This Bill is seen as a keystone of a wider programme to put people at the heart of decisions affecting their lives at a local level. It will ensure that those who understand these issues best will be able to take decisions affecting the local economy.

The Bill will contain duties placed on local authorities and regional development agencies to assess local economic conditions, produce a single regional strategy, promote democracy and respond to petitions.

Policing and Crime Bill

The Government plans to introduce elections for some members of local police authorities. The Bill also aims to tackle anti-social behaviour and alcohol-fuelled crime. Those that commit offences will be required to wear a uniform and participate in community payback schemes, within projects identified by the local community.

A victim’s commissioner is to be appointed to provide protection and support for victims and witnesses during investigations and trials.

ACS also expect that an Alcohol Code of Practice will be announced in relation to this Bill soon.

Welfare Reform Bill

Following Dame Carol Black’s review of sick leave and health at work, in which she criticised “sick-note Britain”, the Government has committed to piloting ‘Fit for Work’ services in Great Britain helping people get back to work and for the ‘fit note’ to replace the ‘sick note’.

Other Bills announced include:

• Child Poverty Bill
• Saving Gateway Accounts Bill
• Marine and Coastal Access Bill
• Borders, Immigration and Citizenship