Today in Parliament was a big day as Prince Charles opened parliament and delivered the Queen’s Speech as the queen was unable to attend.
The speech allows the government to set out its policy and aims for the next year.
This year’s speech focused on levelling up, which is part of the government’s agenda and overarches all of their policy. The speech named a number of priorities of the government such as crime, transport and Brexit. You can read the full speech here.
Included in those priorities was the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill, which will give local councils planning powers to make sure landlords rent out shops which have been empty for over a year. This is to bring a much needed buzz around high streets and install pride into the local area.
The government also introduced a range of bills including the Public Order Bill, which will give police more powers when it comes to protests if they are deemed as disruptive.
For young people, what was most important was the Schools Bill and Higher Education Bill.
The Schools Bill includes plans for compulsory registers that would help identify pupils who are not at school. In addition, all schools will need to be part of an academy or in the process of joining a multi-academy trust by 2030. Furthermore, the Bill will give Ofsted more powers to stop unregistered schools operating illegally.
The Higher Education Bill focuses on the Life Long Loan Entitlement, providing individuals with a loan entitlement for four years of post-18 education to use over their lifetime.
There was no reference specifically to youth employment or the government’s priorities in ensuring the opportunity guarantee mentioned by the Prime Minister in 2020.
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