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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Sophie McCoid

17 Queen's Speech announcements set to change life over the next year

The Queen laid out the government's plan for the coming year as she opened parliament today, with a series of announcements about what people can expect to see over the next year.

Boris Johnson said the Queen's Speech sets out a plan for "unleashing our nation's full potential" as the UK recovers from coronavirus.

Measures to address social care funding was not included in the speech, but the Prime Minister said proposals will be brought forward later this year instead.

But there were 30 pieces of legislation included in the speech, on subjects such as online safety, conversion therapy and planning.

The Government also promised a "levelling-up White Paper" setting out how Mr Johnson intends to meet the promises made to voters in former Labour-voting areas.

He said: "As the United Kingdom gets back on its feet, we will turbocharge our economic recovery in every part of our country, increasing and spreading opportunity."

Here is a brief look at the legislation announced by No 10.

1. Health and Care Bill

The bill seeks to lay the foundations for a more integrated, efficient and accountable health and care system while delivering the NHS's Long Term Plan.

2. Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill

Dominic Cummings may be out of Downing Street and embroiled in a feud with the Prime Minister but one of his pet projects remains. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill will support the funding of high-risk research projects.

3. HS2

The High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill would give the powers to build and operate the next stage of the HS2 project in the North West.

4. 5G and high speed broadband

Extending 5G mobile coverage and high-speed broadband, as well as protecting against cyber attacks, are the focus of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.

5. Adult education

Central to the Government's plans to recover from the pandemic is the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill seeking to offer a lifetime skills guarantee for access to education and training.

6. Planning

One area of contention with backbench Conservative MPs, the Planning Bill seeks to overhaul the planning system as a means to build homes and infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals.

7. Building safety

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower atrocity, the Building Safety Bill will implement recommendations to improve safety and establish a new regulator.

8. Environment

New legally-binding targets to tackle the climate crisis would be enshrined in the Environment Bill.

9. Animals

The Kept Animals Bill also seeks to tackle cruelty while improving standards in zoos, cracking down on puppy smuggling and ending the practice of keeping primates as pets.

The import of hunting trophies from endangered animals would be banned under the Animals Abroad Bill.

10. Voting

Controversial plans to require voters to have identification before casting ballots in a polling station would be introduced with the Electoral Integrity Bill.

11. Fixed-term parliaments

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act will be repealed and the Prime Minister given back the power to call general elections under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill.

Meaning it will be easier for Mr Johnson to call an early general election before 2024.

12. Asylum seekers

Controversial measures to overhaul the asylum system would be introduced under the New Plan for Immigration Legislation, in a bid to deter migrants making perilous journeys to the UK.

13. Online safety

Legislation to protect internet users and make Ofcom the online safety regulator would be introduced in the Draft Online Safety Bill.

The Bill would require tech giants to tackle illegal content on their platforms and clearly set out in their terms what content is and is not acceptable.

14. Armed services

Service personnel, veterans and their families would get greater protection under the Armed Forces Bill.

15. Security services

The security services and law enforcement agencies would be given tools to tackle hostile activity from states under the Counter-State Threats Bill.

This would allow the UK to create a US-style register of foreign agents to help counter espionage and influence from hostile governments.

16. Conversion therapy

Measures are promised to ban so-called conversion therapy to protect LGBT communities from "abhorrent practices" which can cause mental and physical harm.

17. Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill

The return of the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which saw demonstrations over concerns that it would curtail the right to protest when it was last before Parliament.

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