Much of the Queen’s Speech on 19 December resembled the last one in October but there were some post-election changes for public services.

In the Queen’s Speech the Government pledged to:

Business rates

• Bring forward changes to business rates.

Children and safeguarding

• Develop legislation to improve internet safety for all.
• Online Harms Bill.
• Less of a commitment to take unaccompanied refugee children from Europe.

Education

• An increase levels of funding per pupil in every school.

Employment

• Workers’ rights protection to be enshrined in a new bill.
• Measures to encourage flexible working, and to introduce the entitlement to leave for unpaid carers.
• Pension Schemes Bill.

Environment

• Targets for air quality enshrined in law for the first time.

Housing

• Support home ownership, including First Homes, a first-time buyers’ discount for locals and key workers, with homes sold at 30 per cent below market price.
• Protect tenants and improve building safety, including new requirements for a Fire Safety Order.
• A new building safety regulator.
• Renters’ Reform Bill, Fire Safety Bill, Building Safety Bill.
• Abolish no-fault evictions and introduce lifetime deposits for renters (A Better Deal for Renters.)
• A new reformed shared ownership model. (The Shared Ownership Right to Buy did not appear in the Queen’s Speech.)
• Renew the Affordable Homes programme.
• Implement all recommendations from the first Grenfell report.
• Bring forward the Social Housing White Paper.
• Introduce a Planning White Paper.
• Reform to unfair leasehold practises.

Immigration

• A modern, fair, points-based immigration system for skilled workers from across the world to contribute to the United Kingdom’s economy, communities and public services.
• Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill.
• A new visa for qualified doctors, nurses and health professionals with fast-track entry to the United Kingdom.

Local government and devolution

• Prioritise investment in the country’s public services and infrastructure.
• Prioritise investment in infrastructure and world-leading science research and skills.
• Give communities more control over how investment is spent so they can decide what is best for them.
• Introduce a single £10 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to provide new schools, roads and GP surgeries.

NHS

• NHS bill to enshrine in law a £33.9 billion cash increase in funding by 2023-4.
• Hospital car parking charges removed for those in greatest need.
• Reform the Mental Health Act.

Prevention

• New laws requiring schools, police, councils and health authorities to work together to prevent serious crime.
• Serious Violence Bill.

Social care

• Seek cross-party consensus on proposals for long-term reform of social care. No one who needs care will have to sell their home to pay for it.