Levelling up and the Covid recovery were at the centre of Government plans, as it announced its legislative programme for the next year during The Queen’s Speech.
As the UK emerges from the upheaval of the Covid pandemic, the Government has promised to harness the UK’s ingenuity and resolve to build back better and create a healthier stronger and more prosperous nation.
Throughout the pandemic we have seen the NHS rise to the incredibly challenging circumstances, where the UKs health infrastructure was tested like never before. The Government’s new Health and Care Bill will place greater emphasis on integrated care and prevention, and later in the year plans will be brought forward to reform social care and ensure that out elderly and vulnerable are given the support they need.
Safety and security will be a focus, with the Government looking to bring about tougher sentences for serious and violent offenders via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The Armed Forces Bill will implement the biggest programme of investment in defence since the Cold War, as well as ensuring that those who protect us are given the respect and support they deserve.
A ‘turbo-charged’ economic recovery will see increased and more widely spread opportunities in every part of the country, with significant investment in infrastructure and high-quality jobs. The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will help deliver the Government’s Lifetime Skill Guarantee and help give people the opportunity to retrain or diversify their skills – providing employers with the key skills they need.
The Government is also making the most of the freedoms presented by Brexit, which will see it launch freeports, modernise the planning system, and reform procurement rules and regulations. This will give the UK the opportunity to be a science superpower, building on its extraordinary life-sciences sector.
Efforts will be made to improve infrastructure and connectivity across the country, using better transport and technology to transform rail and bus services. In addition to this the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will speed up the UK’s 5G rollout and gigabit broadband.
In addition to measures outlined in the Queen’s Speech, the Government is also building on promises made in its 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto, which include:
-Delivering the biggest cash boost in history for the NHS and seeing over 11,200 more nurses in the NHS over the last year. -Recruiting 8,000 extra police officers as part of the 20,000 target -Launching the New Plan for Immigration to strengthen our borders -Boosting school funding by £14 billion over three years -Launching a new £4.8billion Levelling Up Fund
