Outlining plans for the new parliamentary session, the Queen said, 'MyGovernment will bring forward a Bill to reform education, training andapprenticeships, to promote excellence in all schools, to improve localservices for children and parents and to provide a right for those inwork to request time for training.'
Plans for flexible working had been thought to be put on hold amidconcerns over the economy (News 23 October). But the Bill presses onwith a proposal give around 25 million workers the right to ask for timeoff from April, to achieve a better balance between work and family lifeor take up training.
Mary MacLeod, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute,said, 'Parents repeatedly tell us that being able to work flexibly wouldreally help them juggle raising a family and earning a living. We arepleased that the Government has stuck to its plans and has reallylistened to the needs of parents in this country'.
A change in welfare proposals was also set out in the Queen's speech,under which both parents will have to jointly register the birth oftheir child unless it is 'impracticable, impossible or unreasonable' todo so. This will give unmarried fathers both rights and obligations ofparental responsibility.
Duncan Fisher, chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said, 'TheInstitute is extremely positive about this. This is a significant changeto how fatherhood is viewed. Most fathers don't sign because they don'tknow they have to, but by making it a statutory requirement, servicesmust ask the mother about the birth registration.'
The speech also included plans to enshrine in law the Government'scommitment to ending child poverty by 2020.