The Government promised to tackle inequality and “level up” the country on Tuesday with a post-pandemic raft of laws presented by Queen Elizabeth to parliament.
In a ceremony stripped back because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the queen, who wore a day dress instead of the usual robes and crown, read out the bills the government hopes to pass during the next year on everything from job creation and healthcare to stripping back post-Brexit bureaucracy.
“My government’s priority is to deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom`stronger, healthier and more prosperous that before,” the Queen told parliament in the speech written by the government.
“To achieve this, my government will level up opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom, supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth and addressing the impact of the pandemic on public services.”
She said that her government will “protect the health of the nation, continuing the vaccine programme providing additional funding to support the NHS”.
She says ministers will bring forward legislation to empower the NHA to innovate and embrace technology so that patients will receive more tailored and preventative care.
She adds: “Measures will be brought forward to support the health and wellbeing of the nation, including to tackle obesity and improve mental health. Proposals on social care reform will be brought forward.”
The government is promising to introduce legislation to “empower the NHS to innovate and embrace technology”.It will allow patients to receive “more tailored and preventative care, close to home”.
Obesity and mental health will be two of the main focuses, with junk food adverts banned pre-watershed on TV – and entirely online.The government will then introduce legislation to require large food businesses to calorie label their food.
The Health and Care Bill will include provisions to improve the oversight of how social care is commissioned and delivered.
The government wants to ensure there is greater integration between health and care services by placing Integrated Care Systems “on a statutory footing across the UK”, so there is more power and autonomy in local systems.
The Queen says the government will build on the success of the vaccination programme to “lead the world in life sciences, pioneering new treatments against diseases like cancer and securing jobs and investment across the country”.
The plan to “build back better”, which also included education reforms to help adults access life-long learning – seen by ministers as key to reshaping the British workforce.
On climate change, the government repeated its commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a pledge it hopes will spur other nations to cut their emission targets before a United Nations climate summit in November in Scotland.
Eight new freeports are to be built to create “hubs” for trade and to regenerate communities, the government said.Employers in freeports will get National Insurance contributions relief.
The relief will also be introduced for employers of veterans and for the self-employed who receive NHS Test and Trace payments.
“The Conservatives have so far tried to hide their lack of a long-term plan by making people and places scrap over funding pots,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said in a statement.
“This piecemeal approach won’t deliver the fundamental change our country needs. Instead, we must today see meat on the bones of a proper, ambitious plan to deliver the change people across the country deserve.”
