U.K. Govt’s plans announced today

Press, 26 June 1987, Page 8

U.K. Govt’s plans announced today

NZPA-Reuter London The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, will announce her new Government’s programme today, and it is likely to be one of the most contentious for years, based on more free enterprise and individual choice with less State interference. Her record third consecutive term in office following a landslide victory in June 11 elections is also likely to be her busiest, with new legislation expected on education, trade unions, drinking hours, immigration and housing.

Much of the more radical Right-wing legislation is aimed at weakening the power of, left-wing local authorities and giving more choice to individuals, and will be fought tooth and nail by Labour, the main opposition party. With the Conservatives enjoying an over all majority of 101 seats in the 650-seat Parliament, the new laws are certain to be passed. As usual the new Government’s programme will be read aloud by the Queen in the House of Lords in a centuries-old ceremony of pomp and pageantry. An important plank of

the programme is expected to be a concentrated assault on decay and dereliction in Britain’s inner city areas, where, apart from London, the Conservatives did particularly badly in the elections. Mrs Thatcher is known to believe that Left-wing local councils controlling most of these areas are more interested in exploiting inner city deprivation for political ends than seeking solutions to it. The Government plans to create a series of urban development councils that will seek to.. regenerate the inner cities with a , combination' ot'Stdte and private financing. A new housing bill aims to give tenants in public housing schemes the right to take their estates out of the control of the local authorities, to be run by themselves or handed to private landlords. The policy of allowing tenants to buy their homes, which is seen as one of the . most popular measures the Conservatives introduced, will be continued and extended. In education, schools will be able, to contract out of local authority control and set themselves up

as independents, if a majority of parents vote for this. Control of school budgets will be handed over to head teachers and governors. A new law will further curb the power .. of the trade unions, already much' weakened under two Thatcher. Governments, by insisting that all union officials be elected by secret postal ballot at least every five years. In addition . individual members will be able to stop their unions calling them out on strike without a secret ballot The Government is also expected..to, .introducer a new immigration bill under which wives and children will be able to join their husbands and fathers settled < in Britain only if the family has a home and regular income. - The bill is expected to run into fierce opposition, particularly from the four black members of Parliament, the first for nearly 60 years, all of whom are bn the left of the Labour Party. ? > There will also be a new law allowing all-day drinking in public bars, instead of the closely regulated periods at lunchtime and in the evening, as at present.