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As business now turns its attention to election manifestos, we reflect on the status of the Bills announced in the Kings Speech 2023: which manged to cross the line and receive Royal Assent, which were never introduced and which were dropped?
On 22 May 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election for 4 July, a date far earlier than had been anticipated. Parliament was prorogued on 24 May allowing Government a two day “wash-up period” to pass some legislation that was still in progress.
Parliament was formally dissolved on 30 May and all Parliamentary activity ceased. The cessation of Parliament will temporarily stall new consultations and may delay the release of statements and reports unless considered essential during the election period. Parliamentary activity is set to resume on or after 9 July when newly or re-elected MPs can resume ministerial duties.
A look back at the Kings Speech 2023:
Of the 30 Government Bills during the 2023-24 Parliamentary session, 18 received Royal Assent and were enacted into law. Representing a lower than average success rate compared to past parliamentary sessions. Ongoing political and economic instability has likely had a part to play in legislative progress (as with the 2022-23 Session).
Six carried-over Bills:
Despite being carried over to the 2023-24 session, this Bill failed to achieve Royal Assent. It did however receive a carry-over motion and represents an important milestone in the evolution of the UK’s data protection regime which is expected to be prioritised once Parliament resumes. Looking forward, access to data – especially in the context of online safety measures for children - will likely remain significant.
Received Royal Assent on 24 May during wash-up and was enacted into law. This landmark piece of legislation is seen as a pivotal step forwards in consumer protection law. The majority of the reforms are expected to come into force in late 2024.
Related item: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act: briefing note
Seen as a highly controversial Bill by both Houses, it was not included in wash-up and never completed its Parliamentary journey. The Bill was, however, granted a carry-over motion so we may (in theory) see it return when Parliament resumes.
Following a previous carry-over motion, this Bill failed to make significant progress and did not receive Royal Assent. It was granted a carry-over motion and with both sides of the House expressing support, we can expect to see this Bill reintroduced to Parliament regardless of which political party assumes power.
As part of their 2019 manifesto promise to introduce a “Better Deal for Renters”, this Bill was first introduced to Parliament in May 2023. It was reintroduced in November 2023, but following an amendment in the Commons, this Bill stalled and struggled to make any further progress. Whether simplifying tenancy structures will be picked up again remains to be seen.
Seen as one of the Government’s flagship Bills to improve victims’ status and experience of the justice system, the Bill achieved Royal Assent on 24 May and was enacted into law.
Draft legislation already included:
Media Act 2024 – This major piece of legislation is the biggest shake-up in media regulation in 20 years. The Bill swiftly completed its remaining stages in the Lords and became law on 24 May 2024. Concerns were raised around the lack of scrutiny the Bill received due to the speed at which it progressed, indicating further understanding about the framework may be required.
Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill - Also known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, this draft Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny alongside an extensive Government engagement programme. Following feedback on the requirements proposed in relation to standard duty premises (referred to as “standard tier”), a draft Bill was never formally introduced to Parliament.
Newly introduced Government Bills:
This Bill enjoyed significant cross-party support and was enacted into law on 20 May 2024.
This Bill never made it to the Commons and fell before it reached Report Stage in the Lords. It remains unclear whether either party would seek to introduce this Bill in future.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 20 May 2024 before the announcement of the UK election. This represents an important step in developing the legal and regulatory framework around automated vehicles. Secondary legislation and a detailed set of consultations is expected to follow later this year.
Related item: Autonomous vehicles update
Building upon Government manifesto commitments of tackling crime, this Bill proved contentious. It was unable to move beyond Report Stage in the Commons and was subsequently dropped. Some aspects of this Bill may be resurrected by a potential Labour Government but it is unlikely to be at the core of their approach to Home Affairs and Justice more widely.
This Bill was open to pre-legislative scrutiny between February and May 2024. This time frame did not allow for the Bill to be formally introduced to Parliament before its dissolution. Whilst Labour has an ambition to reform railways, whether a Bill of this nature will return is yet unknown.
Seen as one of the Government’s flagship pieces of energy legislation, this Bill proved divisive and failed to move beyond Committee Stage in the Lords. Despite the stated aim of seeking to deliver energy security, the Bill was criticised for undermining the UK’s commitment to climate action. As such, it is unlikely that this Bill will be re-introduced by a future Government.
The Bill’s limited scope and topical nature led to it receiving Royal Assent before the call for an election. This Bill was enacted into law on 25 April 2024.
This Bill progressed through its final stages during wash-up and was the final piece of legislation passed before the 2024 General Election. The Bill was given Royal Assent on 24 May and was enacted into law.
This uncontroversial Bill was first introduced to Parliament on 8 November 2023 and enjoyed cross-party support. It received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024 and was enacted into law.
In line with Government manifesto commitments for tougher sentencing, this Bill was introduced to Parliament but was unable to progress beyond the Commons before a General Election was announced. While cross-party support has been given to reforming crime and sentencing policies , it is unlikely a Bill in this current format will be re-introduced to Parliament.
This Bill was introduced last autumn and so benefitted from plenty of Parliamentary time for scrutiny. This Bill received Royal Assent on 20 March 2024 and was enacted into law.
This Bill enjoyed cross-party support, with Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary committing to whip Labour MPs to vote in favour of this plan. While the Bill was dropped during the limited wash-up period, both parties have pledged to reinstate it should they be elected to the next Parliament.
AI Regulation:
Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill – First introduced by Lord Holmes of Richmond to the House of Lords on 22 November 2023, this Private Members Bill sought to “put regulatory principles for artificial intelligence into law”. It emphasised the need to “legislate and to lead” in order to “secure the opportunities and control the challenges of artificial intelligence”. With Government support notably absent, it was unlikely to become law. It did, however, stimulate conversation around the topic of AI safety which we can expect will continue in the next Parliamentary Session.
Comment
Overall, a limited number of Bills received Royal Assent during wash-up and were enacted into law. Of those that did, the new Digital Markets Act is notable and reflects the policy emphasis on consumer protection elements – something likely to continue.
More broadly, while some of the King’s Speech Bills never made it before Parliament, such as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, others such as the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill were introduced and gained ground, yet failed to cross the line in the end. Others, such as the Automated Vehicles Bill, made good progress towards becoming a new law, helped by cross-party support. Supporting the UK’s connected and automated mobility sector, the Act will require further regulations to be made on the technical and operational detail.
The coming weeks in the run up to the general election will prove telling. The release of party manifestos should provide some clues as to future policies and direction of travel. Any lack of policy detail will in turn translate to iterative opportunity for business to influence the detail in and around implementation. We will be looking closely at the winning party’s roadmap in their first 100 days and to the issues that will have a link into the liability market.
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