Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref 2009/152

Contact: Steven Howell, Assistant to the Cabinet (01865 816376)

Report by Head of Strategy (CA14).

The 2009/10 draft legislative programme was announced by Government at the end of June. It sets out proposed legislation for the next session of parliament, to be announced in the Queen’s speech in late 2009. Comments are invited on the proposed programme, individual bills and specific policy issues by 21 September 2009.

This paper summarises the bills in the programme and the implications for the county council for those that are relevant to the county council and our services. Key legislative changes affecting Oxfordshire County Council are highlighted below:

- proposals to enshrine in law the Government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020- to introduce an incentive to support up to four carbon capture and storage projects on a commercial scale

- a number of proposals around improving performance in schools, including introducing a set of guarantees of a good standards of education for each child

- new powers of intervention in Youth Offending and enabling the media to report on certain family proceedings in court

- the continuation of the equalities legislation currently progressing through parliament, including banning negative age discrimination

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to endorse the proposed County Council response to proposals.

Councillor Patrick stated that this was a Cabinet response and not a response from the County Council.  She also wondered how the response helped the people of Oxfordshire.

Councillor Mitchell confirmed that the Cabinet had the authority to respond to the consultation on behalf of the County Council and, if the Cabinet approved, he put the blocked, emboldened text into a letter to the Leader of the House of Commons.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA14) by the Leader of the Council.

The 2009/10 draft legislative programme was announced by Government at the end of June. It sets out proposed legislation for the next session of parliament, to be announced in the Queen’s speech in late 2009. Comments are invited on the proposed programme, individual bills and specific policy issues by 21 September 2009.

This paper summarises the bills in the programme and the implications for the county council for those that are relevant to the county council and our services. Key legislative changes affecting Oxfordshire County Council are highlighted below:

-           proposals to enshrine in law the Government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020- to introduce an incentive to support up to four carbon capture and storage projects on a commercial scale

-           a number of proposals around improving performance in schools, including introducing a set of guarantees of a good standards of education for each child

-           new powers of intervention in Youth Offending and enabling the media to report on certain family proceedings in court

-           the continuation of the equalities legislation currently progressing through parliament, including banning negative age discrimination

RESOLVED:                        to endorse the proposed County Council response to proposals.