London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026

Queen's Speech 2021: Key points at-a-glance

Queen's Speech 2021: Key points at-a-glance

The Queen has outlined the government's priorities for the year ahead, as she officially reopened Parliament.

In a ten-minute speech in the House of Lords, she highlighted 30 laws that ministers intend to pass in the coming year.

This includes a number of bills carried over from the previous "session" of Parliament, which ended in April.

It also includes a number of bills included in past Queen's Speeches. Here is a summary of the main points.

Infrastructure and 'levelling up'

*  A Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will extend 5G mobile coverage and introduce new safety standards for digital devices
*  A Subsidy Control Bill will set out post-Brexit regulations on how the government can support private companies, now the UK has left the EU's "state aid" regime
*  Another post-Brexit piece of legislation, the Procurement Bill, will replace EU rules on how the government buys services from the private sector
*  Tax breaks for employers based in eight freeports to be set up in England later this year will be included in a National Insurance Contributions Bill
*  A new UK agency to search for ground-breaking scientific discoveries will be established by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill
*  New powers to build and operate the next stage of the HS2 high-speed rail line are contained in the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill

Armed forces

*  Legacy legislation will deal with legacy issues from the Troubles in Northern Ireland, including restrictions on future prosecutions of British soldiers
*  Government support for veterans will be outlined in an Armed Forces Bill, putting the so-called Armed Forces Covenant into law

Borders and security

*  The speech referenced new legislation to overhaul the UK's post-Brexit asylum system and discourage migrants from crossing the English Channel
*  New powers for the police over protests, and new sentences for serious crimes, are in the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
*  A draft Online Safety Bill will contain new requirements on tech giants to tackle harmful and illegal content online
*  A Counter-State Threats Bill will introduce new registration requirements for foreign agents and rules for protecting state secrets
*  The Telecommunications (Security) Bill will place new legal duties on telecoms firms to increase network security, and restrict the use of "high risk" technology
*  A draft Victims Bill will create new rights for the victims of crime, including new standards on support offered to sexual and domestic victims

Constitutional reform

*  A Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill will get rid of the fixed five-year period between general elections and return the power to call early elections to the prime minister
*  Plans to force voters in Great Britain to to prove their identity when they vote at general elections will be introduced in an Electoral Integrity Bill
*  A Judicial Review Bill will set out the government's plans to change how its decisions can be challenged in the courts

Housing

*  A long-awaited Planning Bill will introduce changes to the planning system in England, including a controversial zoning system
*  A new system for regulating the safety of high-rise buildings, and inspecting construction sites, will be set out in the Building Safety Bill

Education

*  A Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will introduce a new "flexible loan" system designed to promote wider participation in further education in England
*  A Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will place new legal duties on students' unions and universities in England to ensure free speech on campus


Environment and animal welfare


*  The Environment Bill, whose passage through Parliament has been repeatedly delayed, will introduce new post-Brexit rules on protecting nature
*  A trio of bills on animal welfare will ban the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter, and bring in mandatory microchipping for cats

What else was referenced in the speech?


The speech set out plans for a consultation on introducing a legal ban on so-called gay conversion therapy in England and Wales.

A document accompanying the speech says this will ensure action taken to stamp out the practice does not have "unintended consequences".

Ministers have pledged to ensure medical professionals and religious leaders can continue having "open and honest conversations with people".

The speech also said the government would be introducing measures to reduce racial and ethnic disparities.

It follows the publication of a government-commissioned race report earlier this year, which was heavily criticised by equality campaigners.

What wasn't in the speech?


The speech said the government would bring forward measures to reform the operation of the social care system in England.

But it did not commit the government to introducing a specific bill to overhaul how the sector is funded.

Reports suggest that discussions are ongoing within government about the potential cost of changes, which could run into the billions.

The lack of a new bill in the speech has been criticised by opposition politicians and care groups.


The Queen's Speech - what you need to know in two minutes


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
Department for Transport Demands Safety Audits Following Regional Rail Disruptions
House of Lords Scrutinizes Amendments to Armed Forces Bill
Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales Criticize Post-Brexit Funding Framework
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Middle East Military Support Under Parliamentary Scrutiny
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Pressure on Hospitals from Winter Virus Outbreaks
Retailers and Business Groups Lobby Chancellor for Relief from Rising Employment Taxes
City of London Taskforce Urges Radical Reform to Prevent UK From Becoming "Incubator Nation"
Bank of England Officials Signal Potential November Interest Rate Hike
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of £35 Billion Funding Gap in Upcoming Autumn Budget
IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast to 1.3% for 2026
Former UUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for historical child sex offences
UK ministers adopt independent commission blueprint to fast-track AI in the NHS
Labour leadership orders local councillors to end power-sharing deals with Green Party
UK government considers regulatory intervention in proposed Sky and ITV merger
Environment Agency declares severe drought across six English regions as reservoirs hit critical lows
NHS England issues new guidance prohibiting transgender women from female-only wards
Norwegian teenager sentenced to 20 years for part of Iran-backed assassination plot in Britain
UK government threatens complete visa ban on Eritrea over refusal to accept deportees
UK Treasury lobbies UBS to move global headquarters to London amid banking sector tax threats
MI5 Warns of Growing Russian Sabotage and Espionage Threats Across Britain
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Plans Brussels Talks to Renegotiate Post-Brexit Trade Deal
MI5 Warns of Rising Russian and Iranian Sabotage Threats to British Military Facilities
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties as MI5 Reveals Russian Brexit Interference
UK Orders Security Review Following Reported Killing of Former Politician Ann Widdecombe
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets German Chancellor Merz to Strengthen European Security Ties
Nearly 100,000 NHS Patients Treated in Hospital Corridors as England Braces for Winter Pressures
UK Government Rejects US-Russia Diesel Agreement and Reaffirms Sanctions Against Moscow
UK and Germany Agree to Deepen Security and Economic Cooperation Following Berlin Talks
British Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties During Visit to Germany
×