The Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill is a private members’ bill ensuring that public bodies consider future generations when making decisions and creating new policies. The Bill, led by Lord Bird and co-sponsored by Simon Fell MP, will protect the wellbeing of current and future generations by putting a legal obligation on long-term thinking at the centre of UK policy-making. On the 4th February 2022, the Bill received its third reading in the House of Lords and is now making its way to the House of Commons.
This preventive bill offers a “future generations test” for all new policy changes by setting environmental, social, economic and cultural wellbeing targets. If the Bill is passed into law, government departments and public bodies will be held accountable for reaching these goals. In this way the bill will address the climate crisis, poverty and health inequalities. The Bill, inspired by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, aims to establish a Future Generations Commissioner for the UK and to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Future Generations. A further ambition of the bill is to require a minister in each government department that is mandated to “promote the future”.
Other key provisions in the Bill include an increase in preventive spending within public bodies and a requirement of the Secretary of State to publish national indicators measuring progress towards wellbeing goals. Additionally, public bodies will be expected to report annually to Parliament and medium-size companies and above will be required to account for how their activities relate to the wellbeing of the UK.
The Bill has been promoted by the cross-party campaign #Todayfortomorrow led by Lord Bird at The Big Issue. The initiative has gained support from over 70 MPs and many sponsors. FDSD has worked actively with Lord Bird, helping craft the content of the Bill, and in parliament. We continue to work closely as an advisor to #Today4Tomorrow.
Links
- The Bill can be read in full.
- Provocation | An Opportunity for Transformational Change: A Provocation on the Potential for a Future Generations Commissioner for the UK | Andrea Westall
- Provocation | A UK wide Commissioner for Future Generations? | Cat Tully
- Report | The Democratic Case for an Office for Future Generations | Graham Smith
- Blog | Why we need a Committee for Future Generations in the House of Lords | Graham Smith
- Editorial Newsletter | Future Generations Commissioners: from Wales to the UK?
- Big Issue articles on Future Generations
- For background information and details about the campaign, see the #Today4Tomorrow campaign website to get involved
