Planning, housing and employment law shake-up promised in King’s speech

As widely expected, a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to speed up planning decisions for major infrastructure and house building is a centrepiece of the legislative programme unveiled in the King’s speech today. 

Another widely trailed measure, the Employment Rights Bill, ‘will ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights’. Meanwhile a Renters’ Rights Bill will strengthen protection for renters, including abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. Draft legislation will be published on leasehold and commonhold reform.

On crime and justice, the government ‘will bring forward legislation to strengthen community policing and give police greater powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and strengthen support for victims’. This will be achieved through a Crime and Policing Bill and a Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill. It is unclear whether legislation to reverse the PACCAR ruling on litigation funding will find its way into these measures. 

Legislation was also promised ‘to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century’.

Draft legislation will be published on race equality ‘to enshrine the full right to equal pay in law’.

Another expected measure will introduce a duty of candour on public servants, the so-called ‘Hillsborough law’. 

In a less ambitious statement than expected on artificial intelligence, the speech said the government will ‘seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models’.

A draft audit reform and corporate governance bill will ‘revamp’ the current Financial Reporting Council, replacing it with an Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority.

A Football Governance Bill will ‘establish an independent football regulator to ensure greater sustainability in the game and strengthen protections for fans’. 

Responding to the speech, Law Society president Nick Emmerson said:  ‘The new UK government has set out an ambitious legislative plan and we are pleased to see the criminal justice system is on their agenda. We hope the government will work proactively to protect and secure access to justice and make our justice system a source of pride again.’