Member briefing: The Queen’s Speech 2010

25 May, 2010

The Queen delivered her Speech at the State Opening of Parliament this morning. Her speech set out the new Government’s initial legislative programme for the first session of the current parliament.

The Government’s programme will be “based upon the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility”. The Government’s first priority is to reduce the budgetary deficit and restore economic growth.

Among 21 Bills announced, the most important for home builders is the Decentralisation and Localism Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to “devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions”. To read the official background notes on the Bill please click here. We do not know at present when the text of the draft Bill will be available, but this could be some time given its likely complexity.

This Bill would implement the ideas for abolishing the Regional Spatial Strategies and establishing a new locally based planning system set out in the Conservative Party’s policy green paper on planning published in February this year – to read HBF’s briefing note on the green paper please click here. It would also introduce other changes including giving councils a general power of competence, providing for residents to instigate local referendums and the power to veto excessive council tax increases and creating Local Enterprise Partnerships (replacing RDAs) as joint local authority-business bodies to promote local economic development. The Bill would in addition be the legislative vehicle to abolish HIPs following their suspension last week.

Other Bills of interest are:

The Energy Bill – to deliver a national programme of energy efficiency measures to homes and businesses and, in particular, a “framework including potential incentives to energy suppliers and households that will transform the provision of energy efficiency in the UK by enabling a “pay as you save” approach”. The focus will clearly be on the existing housing stock, but we will look into the potential for the Bill also to assist the delivery of low carbon new homes. To read more please click here.

The Public Bodies (Reform) Bill – to ensure greater accountability, transparency and efficiency in Government by reducing the number and cost of quangos: the functions of all public bodies would be reviewed every three years. To read more please click here.

In addition, the Local Government Bill would prevent the implementation of any further orders to create unitary local authorities and revoke the orders that recently created unitary authorities in Exeter and Norwich. The Financial Reform Bill would give the Bank of England responsibility for macro-prudential regulation and an oversight of micro-prudential regulation.

HBF will of course be closely involved with discussions on the Decentralisation and Localism Bill which will be a major piece of legislation. We will update you regularly on developments, our actions and progress.