Future Generations Pledge Bill

A

BILL

TO

Require Public Bodies to make a pledge to work towards ensuring their decisions benefit future generations.

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section One: Public Bodies

(1) The following Public Bodies as defined below will be subject to this legislation:

(i) The United Kingdom Parliament.

(ii) Devolved Authorities in the United Kingdom.

(ii) Local Authorities in England; county councils, district councils, unitary authorities, metropolitan districts, and London boroughs.

(iii) Town and Parish Councils in England.

(iv) Publicly funded charities and Non-Government Organisations in the United Kingdom as far as relates to those operating in such circumstances to not be bound by devolved law.

Section Two: Future Generations Pledge

(1) The following pledge, or a similar adaptation of the pledge, is requested to be made and read aloud by the above list of Public Bodies before each of their publicly held meetings:

“That we will work to prevent problems, including the climate crisis, poverty and pandemics from happening, and not just deal in emergencies. That we give current and future generations a voice in decision-making, and protect them from global threats. And that we deliver a new, sustainable vision for the nation that prioritises our environmental, social, economic and cultural wellbeing that preserves history, traditions, and cultural heritage for future generations.”

Section Three: Extent, commencement and short title

(1) This Act extends to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

(a) This Act shall extend to Scotland three months after the day upon which the Scottish Parliament passes a motion resolving consent for this law.

(b) This Act shall extend to Wales three months after the day upon which the Welsh Parliament passes a motion resolving consent for this law.

(c) This Act shall extend to Northern Ireland three months after the day upon which the Northern Irish Assembly passes a motion resolving consent for this law.

(2) This Act comes into force three months after it receives Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Future Generations Pledge Act 2023.

This Bill was written by The Most Honourable 1st Marquess of St Ives, The 1st Earl of St Erth, Sir /u/Sephronar KBE CT LVO PC on behalf of the Conservative and Unionist Party.

The above pledge largely originated from the Today for Tomorrow coalition.

Opening Speech:

Deputy Speaker,

As Members of these Houses of Parliament, and indeed all of us who serve as local and national representatives, we all have a responsibility to think about who our decisions will affect and indeed how they will affect them. Perhaps more pertinently than anything else, we need to think about how the decisions that are made will affect future generations and not just our own.

By simply reading aloud this pledge, it is my hope that this principle will be upheld by public bodies around the United Kingdom as well as charities and Non-Government Organisations.

I hope that members around this chamber will join me in supporting this Bill to start to think more about future generations.

This division will end on Friday 3rd March at 10pm GMT.