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Queen's Speech 2014: As it happened
Today is the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of parliament, the 63rd during her reign, and her last for the coalition government.
The key reforms leaked to date, which are relevant to the housing sector, are new powers to clamp down on private rented sector landlords who do not take action against organised crime in their properties and developers may be allowed to buy their way out of making homes ‘zero carbon’ under new measures as part of the planning and infrastructure bill.
Some other predictions for what could be in the speech today include:
- Legislation to allow locally led garden cities to provide housing and the relaxation of planning laws
- Communities given rights to take a stake in commercial renewable energy projects
- A small buisness bill with powers to tackle abuse of zero-hours contracts
9.30am
Cabinet ministers will have been briefed about the contents of the speech this morning at 9.30am.
David Cameron and Nick Clegg release their joint statement ahead of the Queen’s Speech.
11.30am
Queens Speech begins and kicks off with her promising that the government’s legislative programme will ‘strengthen the economy and provide stability and security, my ministers will continue to reduce the country’s deficit, helping to ensure that mortgage and interest rates remain low’.
She continues with tax cuts: ‘My ministers will implement measures to increase further the personal allowance and to freeze fuel duty.’
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill
‘The legislation will also reduce delays in employment tribunals, improve the fairness of contracts for low-paid workers and establish a public register of company beneficial ownership.’
Infrastructure Bill
Planning reform: ‘Government will introduce a bill to bolster investment in infrastructure and reform planning law to improve economic competitiveness.
Allowable solutions: ‘Legislation will allow for the creation of an allowable solutions scheme to enable all new homes to be built to a zero carbon standard.’
Serious Crime Bill
Landlords who know their tenants are carrying out organised crime in the property: create a new offence targeting people who knowingly participate in an organised crime group.
Wales Bill
Welsh powers over taxation: ‘My ministers will continue with legislation giving the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh ministers more power over taxation and investment.’
Post Queen’s speech
Ed Miliband branded the contents of the Queen’s Speech ‘more of the same’. He said the government’s agenda ‘did not rise to the challenge’ of helping the five million low-paid people and dealing with the shortage of new homes.
He said the housing market was ‘not working’ for people, with developers not having the ‘incentives to build at the pace we need’.
A minimum of 200,000 new homes were needed each year and developers should have to forfeit land if not using it.
He called for:
- minimum wage to keep pace more closely with earnings
- devolution of more powers for skills, transport and development to the English regions
