The government has promised to tackle obesity and improve mental health support, but there is no sign of long-promised legislation to reform adult social care.
Boris Johnson has set out his legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session in the Queen’s Speech.
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Proposals on social care will be “brought forward”, but there is no specific bill mentioned to tackle an issue that has bedevilled successive governments.
Ministers have previously said that plans will be set out at some point this year.
A raft of bills were set out by Her Majesty, in what was her first major public ceremonial duty since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh last month.
The event, which is usually marked with pomp and ceremony, has been scaled back because of COVID-19.
And rebuilding as the country emerges from the pandemic is a key focus for the government.
“My government’s priority is to deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before,” the Queen said.
“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.”
Mr Johnson has promised to put “rocket fuel” into his “levelling up” agenda with the introduction of new laws to build on his “lifetime skills guarantee”.
The Queen’s Speech also includes new laws allowing post-Brexit reforms to government procurement and state aid; a shake-up of the planning system; a bill to repeal the fixed-term parliaments act; new rules on asylum’ legal protections for Northern Ireland veterans, and measures to tackle voting fraud.
There is also a commitment to bring forward measures to ban conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity.
Meanwhile, a number of other bills will also be carried over from the last parliamentary session – which ended last month – to the next session.
These include the Environment Bill and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
To fulfil the prime minister’s promise of a “lifetime skills guarantee” – made last year – the new Skills and Post-16 Education Bill to be announced on Tuesday includes:
• A new student finance system to overhaul the current student loans system, which will give every adult access to a flexible loan for higher-level education and training at university or college, useable at any point in their lives
• Employers will have a statutory role in planning publicly-funded training programmes with education providers
• More government powers to intervene in colleges that fail to meet local needs
Speaking ahead of the Queen’s Speech, the PM said: “These new laws are the rocket fuel that we need to level up this country and ensure equal opportunities for all. We know that having the right skills and training is the route to better, well-paid jobs.
“I’m revolutionising the system so we can move past the outdated notion that there is only one route up the career ladder, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to retrain or upskill at any point in their lives.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, also speaking ahead of the speech, said the new legislative agenda “must set out transformative and credible change, with a clear plan to get Britain working”.
“That means a Queen’s Speech that ensures good jobs, good pay and good prospects in and spreading opportunity across the country,” he said.
“We must seize this moment to create a brighter future for the whole country.”
