Last Thursday the session of Parliament which started after the General Election on December 2019 came to an end. The formal process for this is Prorogation. This is a formal announcement on behalf of the Queen to close the parliamentary session and which includes a list of Bills that have been passed in the Session of Parliament that has just ended. The new session of Parliament begins with the State Opening at which the Queen sets out the programme for the next session. This will be on the 11th May. This is an important part of parliamentary process as it is principally legislation which has been set out in the Queen’s Speech that can be brough forward by the Government in the session. If a Bill has not progressed to received Royal Assent and become law it will fall at the end of the session of parliament unless it has been agreed to be carried over.
The global pandemic hit us very soon after the General Election of December 2019. Despite the issues around action to save lives and livelihoods the Government continued to deliver what had been promised at the election. In this session 44 new Government bills have been passed. In addition over 1,400 pieces of secondary legislation were also approved by Parliament, as well as a number of Private Members’ Bills.
This legislation has included laws to protect our NHS - enshrining the record funding boost into law; legislation to allow us to take advantage of new opportunities in independent free trading, and, laws to introduce tougher sentences for serious crimes from terrorism to domestic abuse.
Given all that has been going on I think the achievements of this last parliament have been excellent. There is, of course, much more to do and I look forward to the next session when we can make even more progress as we work to make the country a stronger, fairer, safer and greener.
A full list of legislation that has been passed is below. There are a few carry over Bills to be completed in the forthcoming session of parliament. There include the important Environment Bill and also:
- Telecommunications (Security) Bill
- Armed Forces Bill
- Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill;
- Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill
- Finance Bill.
Bills passed in this session are listed below with a short summery and a link to the details on the Parliament website should you be interested in reading more.
European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act
A Bill to implement, and make other provision in connection with, the agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union which sets out the arrangements for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.
Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act
A Bill to make provision for the incorporation of the Direct Payments Regulation into domestic law; for enabling an increase in the total maximum amount of direct payments under that Regulation; and for connected purposes.
Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act
A Bill to make provision about the release on licence of offenders convicted of terrorist offences or offences with a terrorist connection; and for connected purposes.
NHS Funding Act
A Bill to make provision regarding the funding of the health service in England in respect of each financial year until the financial year that ends with 31 March 2024.
Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act
A Bill to authorise the use of resources for the years ending with 31 March 2019, 31 March 2020, 31 March 2021 and 31 March 2022; to authorise the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for the years ending 31 March 2020, 31 March 2021 and 31 March 2022; and to appropriate the supply authorised by this Act for the years ending with 31 March 2019, 31 March 2020 and 31 March 2021.
Coronavirus Act
A Bill to make provision in connection with coronavirus; and for connected purposes.
Contingencies Fund Act
A Bill to make provision increasing the maximum capital of the Contingencies Fund for a temporary period.
Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Act
A Bill to provide for the payment out of money provided by Parliament of expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State or a government department under, or in connection with, the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Act
A Bill to give effect to Law Commission recommendations relating to commencement of enactments relating to sentencing law and to make provision for pre-consolidation amendments of sentencing law.
Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act
A Bill to make provision about the Commonwealth Games that are to be held principally in Birmingham in 2022; and for connected purposes.
Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act
A Bill to make in relation to marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales provision about divorce, dissolution and separation; and for connected purposes
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act
A Bill to make provision about companies and other entities in financial difficulty; and to make temporary changes to the law relating to the governance and regulation of companies and other entities.
Business and Planning Act
A Bill to make provision relating to the promotion of economic recovery and growth.
Finance Act
A Bill to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the national debt and the public revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance.
Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act
A Bill to authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2021; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2020.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act
A Bill to make provision to reduce for a temporary period the amount of stamp duty land tax chargeable on the acquisition of residential property.
Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act
A Bill to create a power of arrest, without warrant, for the purpose of extraditing people for serious offences.
Sentencing Act
A Bill to consolidate certain enactments relating to sentencing.
Prisoners (Disclosure of Information) About Victims Act
A Bill to require the Parole Board to take into account any failure by a prisoner serving a sentence for unlawful killing or for taking or making an indecent image of a child to disclose information about the victim.
Agriculture Act
A Bill to authorise expenditure for certain agricultural and other purposes; to make provision about direct payments following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union and about payments in response to exceptional market conditions affecting agricultural markets; to confer power to modify retained direct EU legislation relating to agricultural and rural development payments and public market intervention and private storage aid; to make provision about reports on food security; to make provision about the acquisition and use of information connected with food supply chains; to confer powers to make regulations about the imposition of obligations on business purchasers of agricultural products, marketing standards, organic products and the classification of carcasses; to make provision for the recognition of associations of agricultural producers which may benefit from certain exemptions from competition law; to make provision about fertilisers; to make provision about the identification and traceability of animals; to make provision about red meat levy in Great Britain; to make provision about agricultural tenancies; to confer power to make regulations about securing compliance with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and for connected purposes.
Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act
A Bill to make provision to end rights to free movement of persons under retained EU law and to repeal other retained EU law relating to immigration; to confer power to modify retained direct EU legislation relating to social security co-ordination; and for connected purposes.
Fisheries Act
A Bill to make provision in relation to fisheries, fishing, aquaculture and marine conservation; to make provision about the functions of the Marine Management Organisation; and for connected purposes
Social Security (Uprating of Benefits) Act
A Bill To make provision relating to the up-rating of certain social security benefits.
Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Act
A Bill to implement the Hague Conventions of 1996, 2005 and 2007 and to provide for the implementation of other international agreements on private international law.
Parliamentary Constituencies Act
A Bill to make provision about reports of the Boundary Commissions under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986; to make provision about the number of parliamentary constituencies and other rules for the distribution of seats; and for connected purposes.
United Kingdom Internal Market Act
A Bill to make provision in connection with the internal market for goods and services in the United Kingdom (including provision about the recognition of professional and other qualifications); to make provision in connection with provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol relating to trade and state aid; to authorise the provision of financial assistance by Ministers of the Crown in connection with economic development, infrastructure, culture, sport and educational or training activities and exchanges; to make regulation of the provision of distortive or harmful subsidies a reserved or excepted matter; and for connected purposes.
Taxation (Post-Transition Period) Act
A Bill to make provision (including the imposition and regulation of new duties of customs) in connection with goods in Northern Ireland and their movement into or out of Northern Ireland; to make provision amending certain enactments relating to value added tax, excise duty or insurance premium tax; to make provision in connection with the recovery of unlawful state aid in relation to controlled foreign companies; and for connected purposes.
Trade (Disclosure of Information) Act
A Bill to make provision about the disclosure of information relating to trade.
European Union (Future Relationship) Act
A Bill to Implement, and make other provision in connection with, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement; to make further provision in connection with the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the EU and its member States; to make related provision about passenger name record data, customs and privileges and immunities; and for connected purposes.
High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act
A Bill to make provision for a railway between a junction with Phase One of High Speed 2, near Fradley Wood in Staffordshire, and a junction with the West Coast Main Line near Crewe in Cheshire; and for connected purposes.
Pension Schemes Act
A Bill to make provision about pension schemes
Medicines and Medical Devices Act
A Bill to confer power to amend or supplement the law relating to human medicines, veterinary medicines and medical devices; make provision about the enforcement of regulations, and the protection of health and safety, in relation to medical devices; and for connected purposes
Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act
A Bill to make provision for, and in connection with, the authorisation of criminal conduct in the course of, or otherwise in connection with, the conduct of covert human intelligence sources.
Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act
A Bill to make provision for payments to or in respect of Ministers and holders of Opposition offices on maternity leave.
Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act
A Bill to amend the electronic communications code set out in Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003; and for connected purpose
Non-Domestic Rating (Lists) (No. 2) Act
A Bill to make provision to change the dates on which non-domestic rating lists must be compiled; and to change the dates by which proposed lists must be sent to billing authorities, the Secretary of State or the Welsh Ministers.
Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act
A Bill to make provision about airspace change proposals and about the licensing regime for air traffic services under Part 1 of the Transport Act 2000, to confer police powers relating to unmanned aircraft and requirements in Air Navigation Orders and to provide for fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft
Domestic Abuse Act
A Bill to make provision in relation to domestic abuse; to make provision for and in connection with the establishment of a Domestic Abuse Commissioner; to prohibit cross-examination in person in family proceedings in certain circumstances; to make provision about certain violent or sexual offences, and offences involving other abusive behaviour, committed outside the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Act
A Bill to confer relief from non-domestic rates for hereditaments in England and Wales
Trade Act
A Bill to make provision about the implementation of international trade agreements; to make provision establishing the Trade Remedies Authority and conferring functions on it; and to make provision about the collection and disclosure of information relating to trade.
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act
A Bill to Make provision about legal proceedings and consideration of derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights in connection with operations of the armed forces outside the British Islands.
Fire Safety Act
A Bill to make provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and to confer power to amend that order in future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies.
Financial Services Act
A Bill to make provision about financial services and markets; to make provision about debt respite schemes; to make provision about Help-to-Save accounts; and for connected purposes.
National Security and Investment Act
A Bill to make provision for the making of orders in connection with national security risks arising from the acquisition of control over certain types of entities and assets; and for connected purposes.
