All the Big Government Reforms the Media Hasn’t Been Telling You About

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A whole heap of important legislation will become law this week. But with most of the media focusing on rows over Chinese espionage and one asylum seeker’s release, they’re likely to be largely missed.

Away from the newspaper front pages, the Labour Government has been busy with some pretty major reforms, as well as some smaller initiatives that could significantly affect people’s lives.

So here’s a collection of some recent news from Westminster and Whitehall you may have missed, as part of an occasional series looking at what the Government is really getting up to. 

Here’s our usual caveat: This list is by no means conclusive, and it is up to you whether you think the news is either good or bad. Mostly, as you’d imagine, they are things the Government sees as positive developments – as we’ve picked out announcements which haven’t been extensively reported on. 

However, the examples do offer a flavour of some of the things that we could, but aren’t, talking about thanks largely to the priorities of the British press, or if you prefer, due to a maddening failure of communication by No 10. 

1. London-Style Buses 

The boringly-named Bus Services (No. 2) Bill became law on Monday night (27th October), enabling local transport authorities to implement franchising schemes for bus services in England – potentially reversing the decades-old deregulation of buses which opponents say has contributed to spiralling prices and worsening, reduced services while transport firms pay millions to shareholders. 

But it will also end the (surprisingly recent) Conservative ban on councils setting up their own bus companies to directly compete with private firms. 

Buses are the most frequently used form of public transport and are relied on by millions of people – disproportionately lower-income workers, young people, retirees and more. 

Greater Manchester took up the opportunity of regulating buses by setting up the ‘Bee Network’, but the legal framework mayor Andy Burnham had to use to do it took years to utilise, and faced relentless challenge from transport firms. The new process is set to massively streamline it.

This bill won’t make the front pages, but if councils take up the opportunity, it could revolutionise this vital form of transport in England. 

Cat Hobbs, director of pro-public ownership campaign We Own It, told Byline Times: “After 40 years of bus deregulation and privatisation, it’s fantastic that this government is making it easier to take back control of our buses,” though she also called for the ambition to be matched with extra funding to help make this a success.

Hobbs added: “It’s excellent news that the absurd ideological ban on new publicly owned bus companies, introduced under the last government, has now been reversed. Publicly owned bus companies like Lothian Buses and Reading Buses consistently win awards for their brilliant services.”

Transport for London-style transport in Cornwall, Leeds, and Newcastle, here we come? 

2. Awaab’s Law

Millions of social housing tenants in England are set to benefit from safer homes due to new rules coming into force in England this week, the Government says. 

The first phase of ‘Awaab’s Law’ will force social landlords (including councils and housing associations) to take urgent action to fix dangerous homes or face the full force of the law. 

New legal duties will force social landlords to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting. They must also investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified and then make properties safe in five working days. For both types of hazards, they must also write the findings to tenants within three working days of inspection.   

As part of the reforms, social landlords now must also consider the circumstances of tenants which could put them at risk – including young children and those with disabilities or health conditions. Alternative accommodation must also be offered if homes cannot be made safe within the required timeframes. 

A Government spokesperson said: “These vital reforms will not only keep tenants safer in their homes, but hold landlords to account. Those who fail to comply with the rules face being taken to court, where they could be issued enforcement orders, forced to pay compensation and legal costs – as well as loss of rent if homes were uninhabitable.” 

Awaab’s Law is a lasting legacy for two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020. Awaab’s family has since fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing. There are four million social rented homes in England. 

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3. Tourism Tax in Wales

This isn’t a UK-Government law, but it is a law brought in by Labour – and has gone little-noticed outside of Wales.

The Visitor Levy Bill received Royal Assent in September. The new law gives Welsh councils the choice to introduce a small charge on overnight stays, with all funds reinvested locally to support tourism.

Councils will decide how money raised can be used for tourism-related expenses – such as improving toilets, footpaths, beaches, visitor centres and activities. The Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) will collect and manage the levy for councils.

There have been calls for a similar levy in England – so far avoided by ministers. 

The Welsh law also creates a national register for all visitor accommodation providers operating in Wales. The Welsh Government says it will provide better data about tourism to help councils and communities make informed decisions about how properties are used in their areas.

There is no cost to register but from Autumn 2026, anyone charging visitors to stay overnight in Wales must sign-up. The earliest possible date a tourism levy could be introduced by councils opting to do so would be 2027.

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4. Banning Plastic Wet Wipes

The Government has laid down the legislation which will effectively ban the sale of wet wipes which contain plastic in England. It is set to come into force around 18 months from now. 

From that point, businesses will no longer be able to supply or offer wet wipes containing plastic to the general public in England. Breaking this rule will be a criminal offence though fines will be more likely. 

Wet wipes containing plastic will still be able to be supplied for medical purposes, such as in the NHS, and will be available behind the counter at pharmacies for general customers. Local authorities will be responsible for enforcement. They’ll have powers to enter premises, inspect, take samples, and require documents.  

5. Scrapping Domestic Violence Victim Fees

Ministers have confirmed plans to scrap the Person at Risk of Violence Order fee. The move means that from November, vulnerable people involved in debt proceedings will no longer have to pay £318 to have their personal details – including name and address – removed from the Insolvency Register and the official public record, the Gazette.

The Government says: “For women fleeing domestic abuse, having the peace of mind that their abuser can’t search public records to find their new address is invaluable – yet the steep cost is a barrier to many. [This] announcement will mean this cost will no longer be an obstacle to their safety.”

Survivor advocacy groups have welcomed this change, alongside separate plans to repeal the ‘presumption of parental involvement’ from the Children Act 1989, to protect children from abusive parents.

6. Breakfast Clubs

Free breakfast clubs will be rolled out to another 2,000 schools in England from next April, as part of the Government’s plan to introduce them to every school. Around 750 schools have already joined the scheme. Ministers say parents can save nearly £500 a year through the free meals. 

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the move, saying: “A good breakfast helps children to concentrate on their learning and has enormous benefits for their health and wellbeing.

“However, it’s really important that feedback from the Government’s initial trial is taken into account as part of this roll-out, including concerns over funding, staffing and space within school buildings.”

The Government has also updated guidance issued to schools in England, calling for them to start limiting branded uniform items – ahead of a price cap coming into force in the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill, which is set to save some parents around £50 per child. A recent Parentkind poll revealed that more than a quarter of parents will go without heating or eating to cover uniform costs.

7. NHS‘ Solar Flare

More NHS trusts across England are set to benefit from Great British Energy investment in solar panels to cut their energy bills, it was announced last week. 

An initial scheme has now been expanded to cover an extra 34 NHS trusts in England, covering around 70 new sites. Officials say it will see an estimated combined lifetime energy bill savings of up to £65 million to be reinvested in frontline services.

In total, around 260 NHS sites will benefit from Great British Energy’s planned solar roll-out for public institutions, alongside around 250 schools, and around 15 military sites.

A Department for Energy spokesperson said: “The scheme covers more than a third of NHS trusts in England, helping them to power health services with clean, homegrown energy, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.”

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8. Clean Energy Jobs

Earlier this month, Ed Miliband’s energy department published the UK’s first ever national plan to recruit workers needed for the Government’s ‘clean energy mission’, with over 400,000 extra jobs planned by 2030. 

It sets out 31 priority occupations such as plumbers, electricians and welders to train up, as being particularly in demand for Britain’s green transition. Five new clean energy Technical Excellence Colleges will be set up to train the next generation of workers. 

New measures will also ensure companies receiving public grants and contracts need to deliver good jobs across the clean energy sector. 

One of the most critical unions of Keir Starmer’s Government, Unite, strongly backed the plan. General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Well paid, secure work must be at the heart of any green transition. Unite members will welcome the commitment to 400,000 green jobs with strong collective bargaining rights.”

9. ‘Horizon’ Scandal Reforms

A major announcement responding to the Post Office ‘Horizon’ scandal, which saw thousands of postmasters wrongly accused of fraud, came in early October.

Redress schemes for postmasters who were wronged as part of the tech debacle are set to be improved, the Government has promised, as the Government accepted all but one of Sir Wyn Williams’ Volume 1 Inquiry Report.

Reforms will include the establishment of a new appeals process for people who were pushed to accept low compensation offers, and “subject to further review” the Government will also look at establishing a new independent body who could oversee and manage the redress for any future scandals.

Compensation for close family members of postmasters who were victims of the scandal is also being promised, as well as a ‘restorative justice’ project – a form of professional mediation, where those who have been wronged or traumatised work with those who caused the trauma to “provide practical solutions.”

The one recommendation from the Inquiry not accepted by the Government so far is to close the current Horizon compensation scheme’s Dispute Resolution Process, which has been roundly criticised. Victims will instead have the choice to use that, or the separate new appeals process.

Other announcements that caught our eye this month include an overhaul of the Windrush scandal compensation scheme (hopefully reducing long delays), raising the bar on disciplining police officers who use lethal force (likely reducing the number of officers found to have broken the rules), £10 million extra for security protections for mosques and Muslim centres in the wake of rising hate incidents, establishing a new Ethics and Integrity Commission, and a review of licensing rules in England to make it easier for pubs and music venues to stay open, host bands, and serve food. 

The much-criticised and toothless revolving-door watchdog ACOBA has also been shut down, though anti-corruption groups will be watching closely to see whether its replacements are up to the job. 

Bills on the verge of becoming law include the landmark Employment Rights Bill, the Sentencing Bill, and the Victims and Courts Bill – all of which involve substantial shake-ups to the worlds of work and justice, respectively. Strict new anti-protest provisions also feature in the Crime and Policing Bill, which was condemned by the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, in a (largely ignored) letter earlier this month.

On Monday, the landmark Renters Rights Act also became law, overhauling the rented sector for around nine million households in the UK.

Got a story? Get in touch in confidence on josiah@bylinetimes.com 

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