The Queen’s Speech 2013

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By DeHavilland’s Parliamentary Affairs team

Updated 3 May 2013

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Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3

Bills subject to carry-over motions ............................................................................. 5

Draft Bills still under consideration ........................................................................... 6

Draft Bills already published ....................................................................................... 7

Possible new Bills ........................................................................................................ 11

Bills not expected to be included .............................................................................. 18

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Introduction The Coalition will approach its fourth year of Government seeking to address many of the challenges that dominated the 2012/13 session. Restoring sustainable growth and limiting rises in welfare spending continue to loom large, while key energy, health and education reforms remain unfinished. Over half-way through the parliamentary term, a number of the reforms outlined in the Coalition Agreement of 2010 remain outstanding. However, just two years on from the general election, the Coalition parties will also be looking to seize the political initiative before voters go to the polls. Meanwhile, many of the issues that have come to dominate the Coalition’s period in office – immigration, Europe and HS2 – will place demands on parliamentary time. Ministers will once again have to accept that lavish new spending commitments remain off the table, and change will have to come through the rather more prosaic route of structural reform. In 2010, the Coalition hoped that a speedy return to sustained economic growth would allow Ministers to dish out a string of voter-friendly policies in the final months before the election. However, the UK’s grim economic performance over the past three years has forced the Government to accept that its austerity agenda is likely to continue well into the next Parliament, with billions more in cuts to be expected following June’s Spending Review. This document will analyse the likely content of the Queen’s Speech on 8 May, and the Government’s programme for the coming year.

Updates made since the original publication of this document will be marked like this. According to the Spectator’s Isabel Hardman, Ministers were told in February that legislation for the upcoming session would focus on supporting the Government’s priorities of “economic competitiveness” and Britain’s position in the “global race”, as well as “aspirations and fairness”. The Times predicted (£) on 22 April that this Queen’s Speech will prove “the lightest since the Coalition was formed”, and said that its “comparative modesty” is “expected to spark accusations that the Coalition is running out of steam”. In a blog post for the Local Government Information Unit, Consultant Mark Upton remarked: ‘This will be the Coalition Government’s third Queen’s Speech and it is beginning to show. Much of the 2010 Coalition Agreement has found its way onto the statute book and its “mid-term review” did nothing to replenish the well of legislative requirements which is beginning to run dry.’ On 29 April, Labour Leader Ed Miliband put forward his alternative Queen’s Speech, in an article for the New Statesman. As opposed to introducing new measures, it consolidated measures previously announced into six economic bills. These included a housing bill, a finance bill, a consumer bill (based on energy, transport and pensions), a jobs bill, a banking bill and an immigration bill. Among the measures was the reintroduction of the 10p tax rate, a temporary VAT cut, and a jobs guarantee for every adult out of work for more than two years.

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In an article published on 2 May, the Financial Times (£) reported that the Government would be setting aside plans for a lobbyists’ charter, minimum alcohol pricing and plain cigarette packaging, in order to focus on issues aimed at core swing voters.

These would be immigration, aspiration and the economy, values seen to be in line with Conservative priorities. In the meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats would emphasise their influence on bills to bring in the single-tier pension and reform social care.

Mr Wintour further stated that the Speech would include measure to reform family justice and the special educational needs system.

Writing on ConservativeHome on 3 May, the website’s Editor, Paul Goodman, said that Ministers were “moving fast to pre-butt” seat losses suffered in local elections the previous day.

As a result, Mr Goodman predicted, any “Big State or Nanny State measures” on matters such as cigarette packaging and alcohol pricing would be decisively removed from the Speech, and replaced by “tough, no-nonsense measures” in the form of crackdowns on immigrants’ access to benefits and the NHS.

An editorial in the Telegraph the previous day suggested that a new mood was evident within the Conservative Party, manifested in the dropping of these plans, as well as the withdrawal of aid to South Africa, and hints that leadership might be prepared to bring forward a referendum on Britain’s EU participation.

The paper attributed this change of tack to the influence of new strategist Lynton Crosby, who it quoted as having spoken of a need to “[get] the barnacles off the boat” by focusing on a narrower range of high-profile issues.

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Bills subject to carry-over motions A Bill that does not receive Royal Assent by the end of a Parliamentary session has to be started again in the next session of Parliament to become law. The use of carry-over motions allows the progress of a Bill to be paused and resumed in the next session, but only if approved by the House of Commons. The following Bills will continue their parliamentary passage in the new session of Parliament.

Children and Families Bill The carry-over motion for the Children and Families Bill was agreed on 25 February 2013. Prior to the expected prorogation of Parliament, the Bill had completed Committee stage in the Commons.

Energy Bill

Subject to a carry-over motion agreed on 19 December 2012, the Report stage of the Energy Bill was expected to begin following the Queen’s Speech.

Finance (No. 2) Bill

The Finance Bill enacts the provisions made under this year’s Budget. Having undergone Committee stage in the Commons prior to prorogation, the Finance (No. 2) Bill was subject of a carry-over motion passed on 15 April 2013.

Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill

Following the agreement of its carry-over motion on 11 March 2013, the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill was undergoing Committee consideration in the House of Commons at the end of session.

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

Pressed to a division, the carry-over motion for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was agreed by 464 votes to 38. The Bill is awaiting its Report stage in the House of Commons.

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Draft Bills still under consideration

Recall of MPs One prominent promise included in the Coalition Programme for Government was for changes to allow greater accountability in light of inappropriate behaviour by politicians by instituting a mechanism for deposing them democratically. The document pledged: ‘We will bring forward early legislation to introduce a power of recall, allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP is found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing and having had a petition calling for a by-election signed by 10 per cent of his or her constituents.’ While a draft recall bill was published in December 2011, it was subsequently recommended by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee that the Government abandon these plans. In response, the Government said that it remained “committed to introducing a mechanism for the recall of MPs” and would engage in further consideration of the matter. Labour accused Ministers of “[kicking] the proposals into the long grass”. However, in reply to a question from Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith on his weekly radio phone-in programme on 18 April, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that legislation allowing for the recall of MPs by their constituents could be laid before Parliament before the next general election. On 24 April, Mark Upton wrote that a recall-of-MPs power had “run into the ground”.

Parliamentary Privilege A Green Paper on Parliamentary Privilege was published in April 2012, and has been under scrutiny by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, with a report due by 25 April this year. This followed the Coalition’s announcement in the Programme for Government that it intended to “prevent the possible misuse of Parliamentary Privilege by MPs accused of serious wrongdoing”, and involved a consideration of “whether there are potential obstacles that ought to be removed to the prosecution of Members of either House for ordinary criminal acts”. In addition, the Green Paper considered whether changes were needed “to strengthen the appropriate protections for free expression in proceedings and in the reporting of those proceedings in the media”.

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Draft Bills already published The following draft Bills are/have been subject to scrutiny. The process is often conducted by Joint Committees of both Houses of Parliament.

Draft Pensions Bill Following the publication of the Draft Bill in January, pre-legislative scrutiny was undertaken by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee. In its final report into the Single-tier State Pension, the Committee said that it expected the final form of the legislation to be introduced at the start of the 2013 parliamentary session.

The Guardian reported on 2 May that “changes designed to tackle structural challenges facing the UK economy, including pension shortfalls and the funding of social care, will be at the heart of next week’s Queen’s Speech”.

The paper’s Political Editor Patrick Wintour confirmed that the Queen’s Speech will include a Pensions Bill, legislating for the introduction of a single-tier pension of £144 a week to replace the basic state pension, currently set at £107 per week.

The move will also allow resources from the abolished second tier pension and pension credits to be put towards enacting the reforms put forward in the Dilnot review, the Financial Times noted.

Draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill The draft of this Bill was published in December 2012, with pre-legislative scrutiny being conducted by the Home Affairs Committee. The Committee reported in February, and the Government issued its response in April 2013.

The Mirror reported on 3 May that the “axing of ASBOs” would be announced in this year’s Queen’s Speech, stating that the measures would be replaced by a new form of injunction called the Criminal Behaviour Order. The paper quoted a Government source as saying that ASBOs had failed as “the breach rate was way too high”.

Draft Care and Support Bill Following the publication of the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Bill on 19 March, the charity Scope said it expected that a Care and Support Bill would be announced in Queen’s Speech. The draft of this Bill was published in July 2012. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt made a statement on the topic of social care funding on 11 February this year, in which he outlined the Government’s plan to impose a £75,000 cap on lifetime social care costs by 2017. Subsequently, speaking in his 2013 Budget, Chancellor George Osborne stated that the cap would be set at £72,000, but that its implementation would be brought forward to 2016.

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On 23 April 2013, Department of Health Permanent Secretary Una O’Brien confirmed during a meeting of the Health Select Committee that the Bill would be included in the Queen’s Speech, and that further consideration about its implementation would occur after that date. The Bill draws on content contained in the Draft Care and Support Bill and will include provisions on a new assessment system for those entitled to care that allows for the portability of assessments when a person moves; a new eligibility criteria for entitlement to services; the definition of charging regimes; and on new calculating mechanisms for costs contributing to a person’s cap.

The Guardian wrote on 2 May that “In probably the most important and complex legislation, the Department of Health will bring in a cap on social care funding, as recommended by the Dilnot Commission.” The article confirmed that reforms would be included in the Queen’s Speech through the Social Care Bill, which the Financial Times (£) revealed would also put in place new safeguards to protect the elderly from abuse.

Draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill The Draft Bill was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with the intention of amending the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It was then submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. On 24 April, the Dogs Trust raised concerns that the Bill had been too “hastily drafted”, following criticism from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. On 6 February this year, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson made a written statement in which he set out a package of measures to tackle “welfare and irresponsible dog ownership”, following on from a DEFRA consultation on the subject. From April 2016, all dogs in England would be required to be microchipped, Mr Paterson announced. Furthermore, the Dangerous Dogs Act would be amended to enable the prosecution of offences occurring on private property through amendments “as soon as parliamentary time permits to effect this change in the law”. Mr Paterson also announced new measures “to help frontline professionals tackle antisocial behaviour involving dogs” through “flexible, effective tools and powers”, as well as changes to law on seizure and kennelling of suspected dangerous dogs and index fees for registering exempted animals. During a session of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on 26 March, Mr Paterson responded to a question from Conservative Committee Chair Anne McIntosh about when new dog control legislation could be expected. The Government was “determined to bring in legislation with the Home Office in the next available Bill, whichever that will be”, he said, expressing the hope that implementation could be achieved through “a couple of fairly simple clauses attached to a Home Office Bill”.

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A May 2012 Home Office report on responding to antisocial behaviour also highlighted the relevance of provisions on dangerous dogs to more general legislation.

Patrick Wintour of the Guardian confirmed on 2 May that the Queen’s Speech would include this Bill.

Draft Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Bill On 21 March 2013, the Government launched its consultation into the Bill, which was due on 3 May 2013, just before the Queen’s Speech.

Draft Local Audit Bill Pre-legislative scrutiny was undertaken by the Draft Local Audit Bill ad hoc Committee. Its report was published on 17 January 2013. Writing on 24 April, Mark Upton speculated that the Local Government sector could expect legislation “bringing down the curtain on the Audit Commission”.

Patrick Wintour of the Guardian confirmed on 2 May that the Queen’s Speech would include this Bill.

Draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill Following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on the issue of prisoners’ right to vote, the Government published a Draft Bill in November 2012 in response. On January 2013, the House of Lords agreed a motion to appoint peers to a Joint Committee to scrutinise and report on the Draft Bill. In April, the Commons passed motion enabling MPs to join the Committee.

Draft Water Bill The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published its report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Bill on 1 February 2013. Speaking on 26 March, Conservative Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Anne McIntosh said: “It is our hope and expectation that measures to adapt to and prevent potential floods by way of greater resilience will feature in the Water Bill to be announced in the Queen’s Speech on 8 May”. Noting an absence of emphasis on the issue in the Draft Water Bill, she added that the White Paper had focused heavily on “resilience measures both to cope with water stress and potential shortages as well as possible deluges and floods”.

Draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill Responding to a debate on the subject of wild animals in circuses on 18 January this year, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Richard Benyon said that the Government would be introducing “primary

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legislation to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses”, and would seek to publish draft legislation during the current session. Defra was working on a draft bill, and “firmly” intended to publish this for parliamentary scrutiny “in this session”, he said. Asked directly on 24 January about the potential inclusion of this matter in this year’s Queen’s Speech, Farming Minister David Heath said that the Government would “very shortly introduce a Draft Bill”. A Draft Bill was introduced on 16 April 2013.

Draft Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill Following the publication of a Draft Bill on 11 February 2013, pre-legislative scrutiny is underway under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. Measures proposed include abolishing the capacity of politicians to serve as both Northern Ireland Assembly Members and Members of the House of Commons, increasing transparency regarding donations to political parties in Northern Ireland, modifying the allocation of the Justice and Policing Department to a Minister, and improving electoral registration. Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Randerson has indicated that the Government meant to legislate in time for the applicable regulations to be in place by 30 September 2014, saying that “the Electoral Commission requires that the system moves to greater transparency as soon as possible”.

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Possible new Bills

High Speed Rail In January, Rail Minister Simon Burns told the All Party Parliamentary Rail Group that he expected legislation on HS2 to be brought forward later this year, completing all parliamentary stages by the next general election. On 28 February 2013, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told the Commons that: “In January this year, I announced my initial route and station options for phase two, from Birmingham to Leeds and Birmingham to Manchester. I intend to launch the consultation this year, earlier than previously planned. I have also set out my intention to secure the authority for departmental expenditure on HS2 phase 2 by way of a Paving Bill, when parliamentary time is available.” The Times included (£) this Paving Bill in its list of predictions for the Speech on 22 April, writing that it “would give the Government power to accelerate spending on project design and is intended to signal to potential investors that Mr Cameron is serious about seeing it through”. This, the paper noted, “is distinct from the hybrid Bill needed before construction could start in 2017”. The LGIU’s Mark Upton only anticipated that “a paving bill to authorise further expenditure rather than the project’s construction” would be brought forward.

In a written answer to DUP MP Ian Paisley on 22 April, Rail Minister Simon Burns said: “We will be depositing a hybrid Bill by the end of 2013 to seek the powers necessary to construct and operate the first phase of the High Speed 2 route between London and West Midlands”.

Civil Service appointments The Times (£) reported on 28 January 2013, that ‘Ministers are seriously considering legislation that would give Cabinet members a direct say over the appointment of their Permanent Secretary.’ The paper claimed that Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude “believes that there is already scope in existing laws to give ministers greater powers of appointment”. ‘However, he indicated that he was seriously considering further legislation because of Civil Service resistance to the idea. Whitehall sources confirmed that new legislation was on the cards.’ Prime Minister David Cameron has openly expressed support for the idea. In an appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee on 12 March 2013, he said: “There are some people who say that this should be sorted out by giving politicians more ability to appoint the civil servants, because otherwise you can’t have direct accountability. My view is you need a bit of both. I do think that Secretaries of State should be given a choice of Permanent Secretaries”. “For those that cross the line of being an acceptable appointee, I think that that is important. So I think that there needs to be a greater element of choice for Ministers, but some greater level of accountability for civil servants as well. That is a good conversation to have.”

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The Prime Minister also stated that he was “open” to discussion on opening up civil servants to select committees.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) In a Commons statement on 12 February, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that the IPCC would be given the powers to be able to carry out investigations into private companies and other organisations working for the police family. In a statement to the Commons, Ms May said that she would be prepared to consider any further changes that the Commission said that it needed, and that this might require changes in legislation. Beforehand, on 1 February, a report by the Home Affairs Select Committee called for more resources and powers to be given to the body.

Immigration and benefits/public services On 26 April, the Guardian wrote that “the Prime Minister will please the right — and try to neutralise the threat posed by UKIP in Thursday’s local elections — when he introduces legislation in the Queen’s Speech next month to limit some benefits to migrants”. “It is understood that legislation will focus in particular on placing restrictions on access to the health service outlined in the Prime Minister’s speech on immigration last month”, the paper added. It further quoted him as saying that he would “control immigration” and “get those levels down”. Mr Cameron told the BBC: “You will see measures coming forward where we start to change the way things work in this country”. “Right now if you're an immigrant your status isn't checked when you're given either a private sector house or a state sector house. Your status isn't checked properly when you are using our health service. That isn't right. That is going to change and it is going to change in legislation very soon." In the speech referenced by the Guardian, Mr Cameron said: “It’s too easy to get a driving licence, get a house without a check on your immigration status. So we are legislating to make sure illegal migrants can’t have driving licences. I’ve already said how we’re changing the rules on social housing. I now want us to make sure that private landlords check their tenants’ immigration status with consequences for those rogue landlords who fail to do so”. The following day, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that she intended to bring forward an Immigration Bill in the new session of Parliament: “The final problem I raised is the policy and legal framework within which UKBA has operated. The Agency is often caught up in a vicious cycle of complex law and poor enforcement of its own policies, which makes it harder to remove people who are here illegally. That is why I intend to bring forward an immigration Bill in the next Session of Parliament that will address some of these problems”.

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Isabel Hardman of the Spectator has also reported that “Tory MPs are now expecting deportation to feature in the Queen’s Speech in one way or another”. The Home Secretary made a statement to the House of Commons on 24 April concerning the deportation of terror suspect Abu Qatada to Jordan. When asked by Conservative MP Dominic Raab if the Government would bring forward a bill in the Queen’s Speech to restrict the extent to which human rights laws could be used to block deportation, Mrs May said she would bring forward a bill on immigration when time allowed. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was asked on 25 March by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone whether the Queen’s Speech would contain measures on immigration reform, in response to which Mr Hunt highlighted the presence of the Leader of the House, and added that he himself “would certainly support the early introduction of legislation on this matter”. In an opinion piece published in the Daily Mail on 17 February, the Home Secretary argued forcefully in favour of reform on the topic of deportations.

Unless there are very exceptional circumstances, foreigners who have committed serious crimes in the country, or who have attempted to cheat the immigration system, should be deported from Britain”, she said.

Criticising what she characterised as a belief among “some of our judges” that the ECHR protections for family life constituted “an absolute, unqualified right”.

Ms May declared that she had “made it clear that [she] would introduce primary legislation should the Commons’ acceptance of [her] amendments [stating that immigrants convicted of serious crimes should be deported regardless of family situation] not be sufficient to persuade judges to change the way they interpreted Article Eight”.

Accusing “a minority” of judges of “ignoring” these new rules, she added that it was “now clear that only explicit parliamentary legislation will convince them that the law if what Parliament says it is, not what they think it should be”.

Thus, Ms May continued, she was “therefore determined to introduce primary legislation that will specify that foreign nationals who commit serious crimes shall, except in extraordinary circumstances, be deported”. The Daily Mail has reported that the Queen’s Speech “will contain a Bill designed to limit Romanian and Bulgarian immigration to the UK” in light of the countries’ accession to the EU and the upcoming lifting of initial restrictions on their citizens’ right to live and work in the UK. Meanwhile, the Times (£) described the Bill as intended “to tighten residency rules and curb access to the welfare state”. Responding to a debate on Bulgarian and Romanian migration to the UK in 2014, Immigration Minister Mark Harper told MPs that the Government would soon introduce “a package of measures” that he hoped both sides of the House would welcome. “Of course, I could not possibly prejudge what may be announced in the Queen’s Speech in a few weeks’ time, but I hope that my hon. Friends will not be disappointed about the measures that the Government are going to set out”, he said.

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On 2 May, the Financial Times (£) reported a new Immigration Bill would be introduced and would include provisions to limit migrants’ access to welfare, social housing and healthcare.

Regulation of the press Following the publication of Lord Justice Leveson’s report on press regulation, Culture Secretary Maria Miller announced proposals for a Royal Charter to establish a new “Recognition Body” for overseeing and recognising an eventual press regulator. In early February, the Government published a number of draft clauses and explanatory costs. Following the publication of the Government’s Royal Charter on 18 March, the newspaper industry considered the proposals. However, on 25 April, nine out of the 11 national newspapers rejected the plans, instead putting forward an alternative. Whilst retaining many characteristics of the Government’s proposals, it did not include the “state-sponsored regulation” many in the press felt statutory underpinning amounted to.

Armed Forces In March 2011, Foreign Secretary William Hague made a commitment to formalise Parliament’s role in the deployment of armed forces, saying that the Government would “enshrine in law for the future the necessity of consulting Parliament on military action”.

Co-operatives and mutuals Speaking on 19 January 2012, the Prime Minister announced that before the next election he would put before Parliament a new Bill to consolidate legislation surrounding cooperatives and mutuals into a single statute. This, he said, would cut red tape and help to build a fairer economy.

Alcohol (minimum pricing) The Independent has suggested that the Queen’s Speech could include plans for a minimum price for alcohol — a measure that has been the focus of controversy and speculation over divisions within the Government. However, the Guardian has suggested that the Prime Minister’s personal pledge on the issue may be abandoned following non-committal answers to the House of Commons.

Wales and devolution In a speech to the Welsh Liberal Democrat conference in Cardiff on 21 April 2013, Chief Secretary to Treasury Danny Alexander suggested that the UK Government was set to offer Wales to chance to vote on tax and borrowing powers.

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Wales Online reported that Mr Alexander had called for “a new model for devolution for Wales”: “a model in which significant income tax powers unlock commensurate borrowing powers for Wales too”. “We are still working through our response to the Silk Commission with the Welsh Government. But I will not allow a response to Silk that doesn’t meet those aspirations”, he added. The Chief Secretary pointed to equivalent fiscal powers to available the Scottish Parliament, adding: “The Welsh Assembly is unique across the rest of the world. It can make laws. It can spend money. But it can’t control how much it raises through tax”. However, he did not stipulate an exact timetable for the devolution of financial powers, simply saying that it was important to “get on with it”. Whilst ITV reported that the Welsh Government had welcomed the speech, they also speculated that: “If the UK government devolves income tax raising powers, the Welsh Government would probably be required to hold a referendum in line with Silk's recommendations”. “Only after winning that vote could it start varying the tax rate. It could certainly commit itself to not going ahead without winning a referendum. Either way there would be no rush to call such a vote”. “The UK Government could replace part of the Welsh block grant by devolving a proportion of the income tax raised in Wales. That would mean the Welsh Government would get more revenue if the economy grew -and less if it shrank”. In a debate on the Finance Bill in 18 April, Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards questioned when a new Government of Wales Bill would be brought before the House. This followed failed attempts by the Welsh and Scottish nationalists to insert clauses devolving Air Passenger Duty to Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament respectively. However, the Government has not given any indication of it intends to move on the issue. In addition to this, the Government announced on 12 March that legislation would be introduced to change the electoral arrangements for the National Assembly for Wales. In a written ministerial statement, Welsh Secretary David Jones explained that legislation would extend the sitting period of the Assembly to a five-year fixed term, end the prohibition on candidates standing in both a constituency and region at the same time, and prohibit AMs from sitting simultaneously as Westminster MPs. They would, however, still be allowed to sit in the House of Lords.

National Insurance Contributions Bill Speaking on 25 April, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke offered “a sneak preview of one element of the Queen’s Speech” by telling MPs that there would be a National Insurance Contributions Bill.

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Local Authority Newspapers Speaking to the Society of Editors on 15 April, Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced that the Government “will be introducing an anti-Pravda law in the very next Parliament”. This was a reference to the publishing of newspapers by local authorities, a practice Mr Pickles described as “apparatchik printing presses powered by taxpayer money” to offer “cut price local news, a crossword and a Sudoku but with a side-serving of propaganda”. Referencing the Queen’s Speech explicitly, Mr Pickles declared that the Government would be “clamping down on unfair competition” in this field by stopping “rogue councils” such as Tower Hamlets and Luton from producing such publications.

Consumer Rights Bill The Government announced its intention in 2011 to produce a new Consumer Bill of Rights, with the aim of streamlining legislation and providing stronger consumer protection under a “strong but simple framework” of law across all sectors. This, it said, would include measures to clarify law surrounding the purchase of goods and services, digital content, and unfair contract terms, as well as consolidating the powers of Trading Standards and providing stronger protections for vulnerable customers targeted by aggressive sales practices. Mark Upton added his voice to speculation on this matter, writing: “Given that the new EU Directive needs to be implemented by December this year we are also likely to see a ‘Consumer Bill of Rights’”.

House Business Committee On 25 April, Conservative Leader of the House Andrew Lansley was asked by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone whether there would be a “firm commitment” to introducing a House Business Committee included in the Queen’s Speech. In response, Mr Lansley said that this question involved “assumptions” about the character of such a committee “based on the Wright Committee recommendations”. These recommendations were under consideration, he continued, but evidence had been received regarding the “impracticality of implementing” them “as first set out”. Progress had already been made in the Backbench Committee, he added.

Tax breaks for married couples Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to introduce transferable tax allowances for married couples by the next general election in May 2015. On 26 April, the Independent claimed that the Prime Minister had been “considering introducing the measures this autumn”.

On 2 May, the Financial Times (£) reported that Chancellor George Osborne would attempt to “placate” grassroots Conservatives by introducing a transferable tax allowance for married couples.

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Higher Education Giving evidence to a meeting of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on 4 July 2012, Conservative Universities and Science Minister David Willetts was questioned about the lack of a Higher Education Bill in the 2012 Queen’s Speech. Responding, Mr Willetts stated that the Government was keen to implement proposals in the Higher Education White Paper, but that competition for slots within the legislative programme, and the fact that the Government could “secure a lot in the White Paper [...] without legislation at this stage”, meant it had not been given priority. Nonetheless, he said he believed that “legislation will be necessary at some stage”.

Public Order/policing The Home Office has consulted on issues relating to the scope of Public Order legislation. One strand of the consultation has focused on the removal of the word “insulting” from Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, was enacted in the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which received Royal Assent at the end of the 2012-13 session. However, following the publication of the ‘Consultation on police powers to promote and maintain public order’ in October 2011, proposals included strengthening police powers to remove face coverings and the introduction of additional curfew powers.

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Bills not expected to be included

Lobbying reform Democratic reform campaign group Unlock Democracy has organised a letter-writing campaign calling on the Government to “make sure” that previously-promised lobbying reform is included in this year’s Queen’s Speech, describing it as “crucial” that proposals for a register of lobbying activity be “given parliamentary time in the next parliamentary session”. Citing the “need to have a better idea about lobbying activity”, the campaign group highlighted the importance of understanding interest groups’ spending and policy priorities in light of the current economic uncertainty. The Coalition Programme for Government set out the parties’ pledge to “regulate lobbying through introducing a statutory register of lobbyists and ensuring greater transparency”. In an article for the Huffington Post on 16 April, APPC Chair Michael Burrell said that he believed the Queen’s Speech would contain “the long-awaited lobbying registration bill”. Asked by Labour MP Karl Turner on 26 March whether a bill to regulate the lobbying industry would be included in the Queen’s Speech, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg responded that there was no precise date for this, and that proposals would be made available after the Government’s consultation.

On 2 May, it was reported (£) by the Financial Times that “senior Tories” were “determined to axe” the statutory register of lobbyists proposals.

Citing industry controversy, the paper added that although a Government spokesperson had insisted that the plans had not been abandoned, one Conservative source had described them as effectively dead.

Citing the nature of the plans as a Liberal Democrat project, the source is said to have explained that Ministers were preferring to focus on “big issues” such as immigration, benefits and economic concerns.

Indeed, the FT suggested, even Liberal Democrats seemed “relaxed” about the potential failure of the lobbying reform proposals to come to fruition, with one source quoted as saying that it “[did not] compare with the bigger issues” on the legislative horizon such as social care and pensions. The paper further highlighted the lack of meetings on the subject held by Conservative Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith, who has responsibility for the proposal.

Cigarettes (plain packaging) The Guardian reported on 5 March that Ministers would use the Queen’s Speech to “introduce plain packaging for cigarettes along the Australian model”, adding that this legislation was “also expected to ban smoking in cars carrying anyone aged under 16 years”.

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According to the Huffington Post, when asked about this story, the Department of Health could not confirm its accuracy, and did not know its source. The Grocer reported on 8 March that the Prime Minister had responded to a question from a cigarette packaging manufacturer at a meeting in West Yorkshire by saying that no decision had yet been made on this. Noting that restrictions on smoking in public places had had “a pretty dramatic health effect”, he added that any decision on packaging would need to weigh up the business impact. “We should properly consider all the statistics and all of the evidence before making that decision”, he said. The Guardian also quoted Japan Tobacco International in its surprise at the reports, given the Department’s previous insistence that the Government had previously described itself as having an open mind on the issue. On 23 April, the Times reported (£) that a Freedom of Information request revealed that Health Minister Anna Soubry, uniquely among senior officials from her department, had met with Patrick Wintour, the author of the original Guardian story, on 28 February, fuelling speculation that she had been the source. Ms Soubry has since spoken of her personal support for plain packaging, but could not confirm the Government’s position on the issue.

On 2 May, the Guardian’s Political Editor Patrick Wintour cited Government sources as having confirmed that plans to introduce plain cigarette packaging had been “overruled” by the Prime Minister, adding that these plans had not been seen as central to Mr Cameron’s agenda.

Their removal could also be attributed to his desire to avoid a backbench revolt, Mr Wintour noted, adding that the Government wished to seek more evidence about the implementation of similar measures in Australia, while the Home Office had expressed concern about possible increases in smuggling. Meanwhile, Mr Wintour suggested, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was anxious not to appear heavy-handed on the issue, and thus did not seem willing to press his Coalition partners to act.

Communications Data Bill On 26 April, it was widely reported that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had vetoed this Bill, known by its opponents as the “Snoopers’ Charter”. This would, the Guardian said, kill off “the Home Secretary’s last remaining hopes of getting any communications data legislation in the Queen’s Speech”. Describing the measures as unworkable and disproportionate, Mr Clegg said that a blanket record of websites visited and social media communications was “not going to happen with Liberal Democrats in government”, citing the need to balance liberty and security. “The idea of a wider bill didn't get the balance right”, he added in an email to party members, declaring that it “would not have enjoyed widespread support in Parliament or across the country at large”. There was only one measure on which Mr Clegg conceded, which involved a consideration of whether every device should be assigned its own IP address.

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The Telegraph and the Spectator’s Isabel Hardman had previously predicted that the Communications Data Bill would be re-announced in the Queen’s Speech, after it failed to appear prior to the end of the 2012-2013 session. Meanwhile, the Times has described (£) Home Secretary Theresa May as “determined that a Communications Data Bill will appear in next month’s Queen’s Speech”, despite “growing worries among Conservative and Lib Dem MPs about the billions of pounds it will cost to enact and its impact on privacy”. Pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill was undertaken by a joint committee, which reported on 11 December 2012. The delay, Ms Hardman wrote, “is really a symptom of the struggle the Home Office is having to satisfy all groups involved in the negotiations”. Predicting that Mr Clegg would “slap down” the legislation, she foresaw significant controversy if the Bill had not undergone further public consultation and “fundamental changes”. It was possible, she added on 23 April, that “we could well see a veto before the Queen even enters the Palace of Westminster”. The Times, writing on 22 April, reported that nine security experts had written to the Prime Minister to “warn that there is little evidence that new powers are needed”. This letter described the bill as a plan “to monitor every British person’s internet activity”, describing this as “naive and technically dangerous”. The Manchester branch of digital rights campaign organisation the Open Rights Group has also recently tweeted polemically about this issue, saying that: “James Baker from @no2id at #orgConNorth says #commsbill not dead, privacy and freedom wrecking bill due to be in Queen's speech”. The campaign group added: “Liberty says #commsbill data 2 b gathered 'incredibly revealing about people'. #orgConNorth #privacy”. Tweeting on 28 March, Guardian home affairs editor Alan Travis speculated that “a redrawn ‘snooper’s’ [sic] bill will be mentioned but not published in the Queen’s Speech”. On 24 April 2013, the pressure group Liberal Reform wrote to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, calling on him to block the Communications Data Bill. In an article for the Daily Telegraph on 28 April, the Government’s former Independent Reviewer of Counter-terrorism legislation Lord Carlile of Berriew urged Mr Clegg to reconsider his position. He wrote: “Modernising the law in this area would mean standardising the types of internet data that are retained by the communications industry and the length of time the data are held for”.

On 2 May, Patrick Wintour of the Guardian asserted that “the speech will not contain the full Communications Data Bill – or “snooper’s charter” – vetoed by the Liberal Democrats, but may include small-scale legislation on linking mobile phone numbers to internet service provider sites”.

Foreign aid expenditure According (£) to the Times of 22 April, the Prime Minister has “ruled out enshrining his controversial increase in aid spending in law this year”.

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The paper wrote that it “understands” that the Queen’s Speech “will omit the promised legislation to fix international development spending at 0.7 per cent of national output”, despite this pledge having appeared in the Conservative manifesto and Coalition agreement. Citing fears of a mass revolt among Conservatives over the measures, referred to as “a lightning rod for backbench discontent”, Political Editor Roland Watson wrote that the Government wass arguing that it would have “achieved its most important pledge when spending on overseas aid [hit] 0.7 per cent of GDP for the first time this year”. The paper quoted an anonymous Government source as saying: “It’s the spending that’s the achievement, that goes without saying”. A Downing Street spokesman said later that day that there was “no change” in the Government’s stance on overseas aid, but refused to confirm or deny the assertions of the Times report. Reluctance to legislate on the aid target was indicative of the Coalition’s wider caution about using “the legislative tool,” wrote Mark Upton. This aversion was underpinned by a slim Commons majority, and the lack of one in the Lords.

Freedom of Information and data protection Following pre-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by the Justice Committee, Justice Minister Helen Grant said that the Government was “not proposing a radical overhaul” of the Act.

The Minister indicated that a number of changes were proposed to the Act — including extending access and reuse rights to data that is released, and extending the Act to more organisations performing public

functions — could be made by secondary legislation. Justice Minister Lord McNally explained that the issues that could be covered by primary legislation included giving the Information Commissioner more time to prosecute offences under Section 77 of the Act, and introducing an exemption for pre-publication research.

Older people and benefits In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said he “would encourage” wealthy pensioners who could afford their heating bills, bus passes and TV licenses to return any unneeded support to the state. The Financial Times (£) reported that Ministers were beginning a “desperate search” for £11.5bn worth of savings in the run-up to the next general election. Mr Duncan Smith’s comments came in light of Prime Minister David Cameron’s commitment to protect the £3.5bn universal pensioner benefits budget. Legislation is unlikely to be contained in this Queen’s Speech, but controversy over the issue offers a hint of the difficulties the Government faces in the run-up to the Spending Review in June. The Guardian reported Cabinet tensions following Mr Duncan Smith’s appeal, with opposition coming from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. The paper also reported that Chancellor George Osborne was due to

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introduce caps on the total housing benefit bill and on tax credits, as part of “a radical reshaping of how the Treasury controls expenditure”.

Draft Enhanced Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill

Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Bill was published on 27 November 2013, with the Government publishing its response in January 2013. Once again, Ministers affirmed that the Enhanced Terrorism and Investigation Measures Bill would only be introduced in “exceptional and unanticipated circumstances”.