Corporate report

GLD Business Plan 2024-2025 Mid-year update

Published 6 December 2024

Foreword

Susanna McGibbon

Since we published our annual business plan in May 2024, we have a new government and new Law Officers with new priorities. Given this fundamental change, I have reviewed the GLD business plan and updated it to set out how we have and will continue to respond to those new legal priorities in support of mission-led government and reflecting the government’s renewed emphasis on the promotion and protection of the rule of law.

Our 3-year strategy of “delivering much more than law” – making a real-world difference to our fellow citizens – remains as pertinent as ever. As do our Purpose and Vision – to help the government to govern well, within the rule of law and to be an outstanding legal organisation. But our legal delivery priorities have clearly changed in order to support the new government’s vision for the country.

Central to this is the mission-driven approach to policy development and tackling the challenges facing the country. The missions are in support of national renewal: to kickstart economic growth; make Britain a clean energy superpower; take back our streets; break down barriers to opportunity; and build an NHS fit for the future. GLD will be a vital and highly efficient part of delivering the government’s missions.

Our teams have already introduced a range of key legislation including the Budget Responsibility Bill and the Great British Energy Bill and responded to ongoing challenges including, over the summer, those in the criminal justice system (riots and prison capacity). We continue to support efforts to address the security and international challenges presented by the conflict in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East as well as defending litigation cases and responding to the various inquiries that are underway.

GLD’s inherent agility means we are ideally equipped to support the government’s mission-driven approach. Our structures have enabled us to respond positively and effectively – collaborating across departmental boundaries in support of each mission as well as other foundational priorities. We can draw together the full spectrum of legal expertise to react quickly to support the government’s priorities and tackle the complex challenges the UK faces.

Our Business Plan 2024-25 priorities to meet the corporate ambitions of our GLD Strategy remain and we will continue in our aim to go from great to outstanding as we support the new government.

Susanna McGibbon

Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary

GLD’s legal priorities in a mission- driven government

As the government’s trusted legal adviser, GLD is at the heart of delivering the government’s agenda. We do this with a continued commitment to efficiency and productivity. Across our departmental advisory and specialist litigation, commercial and employment legal services, we will have unique involvement right across all of the missions and the activities that support the delivery of the missions. In addition, much of the legal business set out in the May business plan will continue as usual but here we set out examples of our new work to support the delivery of the missions.

Kickstart Economic Growth

This mission seeks to address a number of problems in the UK’s economy, including low productivity, low levels of investment and a decreasing employment rate as more people are economically inactive.

To support the delivery of this mission we are working and advising on:

• the Budget Responsibility Bill, the National Wealth Fund Bill to establish the National Wealth Fund and providing legal support on financial sanctions and other issues (HM Treasury)

• planning reform, including a Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the plans to transfer power out of Westminster and into our communities with an English Devolution Bill (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

• the Employment Rights Bill, Product Regulation and Metrology Bill and a bill to create an Industrial Strategy Council (Department for Business and Trade)

• the Pensions Schemes Bill and providing legal support relating to occupational pensions (Department for Work and Pensions)

• immigration and asylum, contributing to economic growth through an effective migration system and supporting the Border Security Command (Home Office)

• procurement and commercial policy, including the new National Procurement Policy Statement and providing legal support to the Windsor Framework Task Force and supporting the government’s desire to reset relations with the EU (Cabinet Office)

• rail performance and rail reform, improving bus services, transforming transport infrastructure and better integrated transport networks (Department for Transport)

• the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and the Data (Use and Access) Bill. As well as work on artificial intelligence (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• maintaining and improving an effective civil justice system, including the Arbitration Bill, Digital Assets Bill and the continued rollout of digital justice initiatives (Ministry of Justice)

• the Water (Special Measures) Bill, the Commission on the Water Sector

• Regulatory System, leading to a further Bill aimed at regulation in the water sector, work on the circular economy and the implementation of key aspects of the Windsor Framework (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)

• providing commercial legal services on growth-related matters (Commercial Law Directorate)

Make Britain a clean energy superpower

This mission aims to make Britain a clean energy superpower to cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero.

To support the delivery of this mission we are working and advising on:

• the Great British Energy Bill to establish Great British Energy, establishing Mission Control to create a clear plan for clean power by 2030, developing energy-related planning policy using an appropriate legislative vehicle, as well as supporting cross-government work on Net Zero and Carbon Budgets (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

• the Warm Homes Plan, the establishment of the Office for Clean Energy Jobs and issues surrounding Renewables, Decarbonisation and Energy System Reform, including provisions in the Data (Use and Access) Bill (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

• delivering greener transport, including the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill and legal support for the transition to support zero emissions vehicles and the roll out of electric charge points (Department for Transport)

• international environment matters (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)

• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero commercial matters and polluter pay schemes with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Commercial Law Directorate)

Take back our streets

This mission’s aim is to halve violence against women and girls; halve knife crime; and restore confidence in the policing and justice system to record levels.

To support the delivery of this mission we are working and advising on:

• the Criminal Justice and Policing Reform Bill. This includes anti-social behaviour, knife crime, criminal exploitation of children, violence against women and girls and wider policing reform (Home Office)

• counter-extremism sprint work and a wide range of other policing and crime matters (Home Office)

• all matters relating to prisons and offender management, including measures relating to prison capacity (Ministry of Justice)

• the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill to strengthen public protection, reduce delays in the criminal courts and address victims’ needs (Ministry of Justice)

• the further implementation of the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, measures to combat domestic abuse in a more efficient family justice system, reform of rights of cohabitants, and ‘Jade’s Law’ reforms in relation to parental responsibility (Ministry of Justice)

• implementing and building on the Online Safety Act (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (Ministry of Defence)

• commercial law aspects of promoting greater presence and visibility of the police, reducing domestic violence and knife crime, work on blue light services and homeland security and the commercial law aspects of prisons building, operation, prisoner services, the courts and legal aid (Commercial Law Directorate)

Break down barriers to opportunity

This mission is focused on breaking the link between young people’s background and future success, measured by income inequality.

To support the delivery of this mission we are working and advising on:

• the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers including changes to teacher recruitment and retention and charging VAT for private school fees (Department for Education)

• the bill that paves the way for the creation of Skills England, a new arms-length body that will bring together key partners to meet skills needs, and preparing the Children’s Wellbeing Bill that aims to raise standards in education and to promote children’s wellbeing (Department for Education)

• overhauling the regulation of the private rented sector, giving greater rights and protections to people renting their homes including abolishing section 21 no fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession with the Renters’ Rights Bill, and plans for leasehold and commonhold reform (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

• Disability Benefit Reform and child maintenance policy and reform (Department for Work and Pensions)

• changes to equality law, including measures on sexual harassment in the workplace and maternity pay in the Employment Rights Bill (Office for Equality and Opportunity)

• the Review of Civil Legal Aid and reforms to ensure sustainability in the legal aid sector (Ministry of Justice)

• the Football Governance Bill (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

• public food policy and sector skills shortages and a range of projects relevant to the Opportunities mission (Commercial Law Directorate)

Build an NHS fit for the future

This mission aims to build an NHS fit for the future, delivered through more care in the community (‘hospital to home’) a workforce of the future with the technology they need (‘analogue to digital’) and a focus on prevention (‘sickness to prevention’).

To support the delivery of this mission we are working and advising on:

• the government’s 10-year Health Plan, the delivery of 700,000 new dental appointments and reforming the dental contract (Dentistry Rescue Plan) (Department of Health and Social Care)

• the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Mental Health Bill and legislation to ban the sale to under-18s of high energy drinks (Department of Health and Social Care)

• introducing Fair Pay Agreements in the adult social care sector via the Employment Rights Bill, implementing professional standards for NHS managers and the legislation governing regulation of healthcare professionals (Department of Health and Social Care)

• ensuring patients across the UK have access to the same medicines (implementation of the Windsor Framework) and reforming the regulatory regime for medical devices and clinical trials (Department of Health and Social Care)

• negotiations in the World Health Organisation on the new Pandemic Accord and the implementation of the International Healthcare Regulations (Department of Health and Social Care)

• commercial matters relating to a wide range of Department of Health and Social Care projects and issues (Commercial Law Directorate)