KEY MEASURES IN THE QUEEN’S SPEECH

HERE is a summary of the most important new Government policies set out yesterday.

● BREXIT FREEDOMS BILL

MINISTERS will introduce legislation designed to strengthen their powers to amend, repeal or replace European Union regulations left over after the UK’s departure from the bloc.

● LEVELLING UP AND REGENERATION BILL

LOCAL authorities will be given new powers to help rejuvenate high streets by forcing landlords to rent out empty shop units.

The Bill will also place a duty on the Government to produce an annual report updating the country on its progress to deliver its missions for levelling up.

● BILL OF RIGHTS

MINISTERS confirmed plans to bring forward a Bill of Rights, promising to add a “healthy dose of common sense” and curtail “abuses” of human rights laws.

The Bill of Rights aims to strengthen “freedom of speech” and ensure a “proper balance” between the rights of individuals and effective politics – for example, making it easier to deport foreign offenders.

It is expected to clarify the existing Human Rights Act, but not replace it.

● PUBLIC ORDER

A CRACKDOWN on militant protesters will dish out harsher sentences to those causing public disruption, as well as make new criminal offences for those who glue themselves to roads or “lock on” to public transport infrastructure.

● CONVERSION THERAPY

NEW laws will ban conversion therapy that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation in certain circumstances.

The Bill will introduce an outright ban on conversion therapy for those under 18.

It will only ban the practice for over-18s “who do not consent and who are coerced or forced to undergo” the move.

Due to the “complexity of issues and need for further careful thought”, the legislation will not protect transgender people.

● FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS BILL

CONSUMERS will continue to be able to get access to their cash easily and scam victims will be better protected under proposed legislation. Under the new law the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) will be able to require banks to reimburse authorised push payment (APP) scam losses, totalling hundreds of millions of pounds each year.

● TRANSPORT BILL

GREAT British Railways, a public sector body, will be set up to oversee the rail network. It will absorb the state-owned infrastructure management company Network Rail and take on many functions from the Department for Transport.

● DIGITAL MARKETS, COMPETITION AND CONSUMER BILL

THE Digital Markets Unit, a watchdog set up last year, will get powers to enforce competition in the digital sector and stop tech giants including Facebook and Google abusing their dominant positions in the marketplace. The Bill will also crack down on “subscription traps” and fake reviews, and strengthen protections for consumers using Christmas savings clubs.

● SCHOOLS BILL

MINISTERS will crack down on truancy, beef up the powers of education watchdog Ofsted and shake up the schools funding system.

● ENERGY SECURITY BILL

LEGISLATION will pave the way for new, low-carbon technologies and growing the consumer market for electric heat pumps. It will also appoint Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks and extend the energy price cap.

● UK INFRASTRUCTURE BANK BILL

THE proposals establish a statutory role for the bank, which seeks to provide funding for major infrastructure projects.

The bank will have clear objectives to support regional and local economic growth and deliver net zero.

● MEDIA BILL

THE measure confirms the Government’s plan to sell off Channel 4.

● PROCUREMENT BILL

THIS will shake up the system for awarding Government contracts, following the UK’s exit from the EU.

It will include streamlining procedures to make it easier for small and medium sized firms to apply.

● TRADE (AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND) BILL

A NEW law will ensure the UK can comply with the obligations set out in the free trade deals struck with Australia and New Zealand.

● HARBOURS (SEAFARERS’ REMUNERATION) BILL

IN THE wake of the mass sacking of P&O Ferries workers, this measure will seek to crack down on ferry operators who do not pay National Minimum Wage by giving ports new powers to surcharge them and ultimately suspend them from accessing the port.

It will also force operators to ensure all seafarers receive a fair wage while in UK territory and provide legal sanctions for cases of non-compliance or supplying of false information.