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This page is a quick reference guide to the Queen's Speech 2010, outlining the government’s priorities for the coming parliamentary year.

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Queen's Speech 2010 (10 Downing Street)
This page gives information on the Queen's Speech 2010. It includes a link to the transcript of the speech and information on each of the proposed Bills.
Queen's Speech 2010 (10 Downing Street)
This is a transcript of the speech by the Queen to both Houses of Parliament on 25 May 2010. She outlines the government’s priorities for the coming parliamentary year.

Related links

Academies Bill
This bill aims to enable more schools to achieve academy status. Under the proposed legislation, all maintained schools could apply to become an academy. Schools judged 'outstanding' by Ofsted would be pre-approved. The bill would automatically make all new academies charities.
Airport Economic Regulation Bill
This bill aims to:
• engage with stakeholders in the sector to develop a new vision for a competitive aviation industry that uses the existing runway infrastructure
• reform the framework for the economic regulation of airports
Armed Forces Bill
The Armed Forces Bill will build on existing laws covering the UK Armed Forces and make provision for other defence matters.
Decentralisation and Localism Bill
The Decentralisation and Localism Bill will devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions.
Education and Children's Bill
This bill aims to:
• reform Ofsted and other accountability frameworks
• give teachers and head teachers the powers to improve behaviour and tackle bullying
• provide schools with the freedom to deliver education in the way they see fit

The bill would provide for the introduction of:
• a slimmer curriculum
• a year 6 reading test
• a ‘pupil premium’ for the poorest pupils
Energy Security and Green Economy Bill
This bill aims to:
• provide a step change in energy efficiency measures to homes and businesses
• put in place a framework to deliver a future with secure, low carbon energy supplies and fair competition in the energy markets

Possible measures may include:
• introducing powers to regulate the emissions from coal-fired power stations
• reforming energy markets to ensure fair competition and security of supply
• putting in place a framework for the development of a smart grid for the management of electricity supply and demand
• legislating to set up a Green Investment Bank
Equitable Life Payments Scheme Bill
This bill aims to empower HM Treasury to make payments to Equitable Life policyholders.
European Communities (Amendment) Referendum Lock Bill
The European Communities (Amendment) Referendum Lock Bill aims to increase democratic and parliamentary control, scrutiny and accountability over EU decision-making.
Financial Services Regulation Bill
This bill proposes to give the Bank of England responsibility for macro-regulation of the banking system.
Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill
The main elements of the bill are:
• scrapping the ID card scheme, the National Identity register and halting second generation biometric passports
• extending the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency
• protecting historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury
• reforming libel laws to protect freedom of speech
• repealing unnecessary criminal offences
• adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database
• the restoration of rights to non-violent protest
• safeguarding against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation
• ending the storage of internet and email records without good reason
• further regulating CCTV
Health Bill
The Health Bill aims to:
• establish an independent NHS Board to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidance, and to allow GPs to commission services on behalf of their patients
• improve efficiency and outcomes by strengthening the role of the Care Quality Commission and developing Monitor into an economic regulator to oversee aspects of access and competition in the NHS
• cut the number of health quangos, helping cut the cost of NHS administration by a third
Identity Documents Bill
The bill would scrap ID cards and require the destruction of all personal information gathered from cardholders to cancel the National Identity Register.

The bill aims to:
• cancel identity cards within one month of Royal Assent
• destroy the National Identity Register which contains personal data collected to issue cards, also within one month of Royal Assent
National Insurance Contributions Bill
This bill aims to increase rates of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from April 2011. Further possible changes are being considered. These would reflect the coalition’s stated commitments to "make it easier for people to set up new enterprises" and "make every effort to tackle tax avoidance".
Office for Budget Responsibility Bill
This bill aims to:
• establish an Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to be run by a three-person Budget Responsibility Committee
• to publish forecasts in advance of the emergency Budget
• to assess the long-term sustainability of the public finances and the public sector balance sheet
Parliamentary Reform Bill
The Parliamentary Reform Bill will:
• provide a referendum on a choice between 'first past the post' and the 'alternative vote' as the system for electing the House of Commons
• change the electoral system for the Commons to the Alternative Vote if the result of the referendum supports this.
• reduce the number of seats in the House of Commons
• create more equally sized constituencies
• provide for fixed, rather than maximum, term parliaments of five years
• ensure that a Prime Minister can only seek an earlier dissolution of Parliament if 55 per cent of the House of Commons vote in favour
• allow voters to recall their MP if they are judged to have engaged in serious wrongdoing
Parliamentary Privilege (Draft) Bill
The bill aims to:
• reform the law on parliamentary privilege
• make its extent and application more clear
• protect freedom of speech within Parliament
Pensions and Savings Bill
Under current legislation, the State Pension age is due to increase to 66 between 2024 and 2026, followed by two further increases at ten-year intervals. This schedule will be reviewed. This bill will implement the findings of the review, if it finds that the timetable for increasing the State Pension age is no longer appropriate.
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill aims to make the police service more accountable to local people, create a dedicated Border Police Force and sets out measures to tackle alcohol-related violence and disorder.
Postal Services Bill
This bill aims to:
• tackle the fundamental and longstanding problems facing Royal Mail
• enable an injection of private capital, and other measures, to help Royal Mail and ensure the provision of the postal service
Public Bodies (Reform) Bill
The Public Bodies (Reform) Bill aims to make public bodies (‘quangos’) more open and accountable. It also aims to provide ministers with the powers to abolish, merge or transfer functions.
Scotland Bill
The bill aims to implement recommendations of the Final Report of the Commission on Scottish Devolution (the Calman Commission). The details of this bill will be made clear in due course.
Terrorist Asset Freezing Bill
The Terrorist Asset Freezing Bill will set out:
• how assets can be frozen in the UK, putting the regime on a secure legislative footing and ensuring that terrorist assets remain frozen
• the legal test for freezing assets, the process for making decisions, the scope of the prohibitions, exemptions provisions, criminal offences and ways to appeal
Welfare Reform Bill
This bill aims to simplify the benefits system in order to improve work incentives.