PENSIONS
The pension reforms are the centrepiece of the Coalition’s last legislative programme. The first bill introduces collective defined pension contributions, popular in Canada and the Netherlands.
The second lays out pensioners’ new freedoms, allowing them to withdraw cash freely from their pension pots and making the purchase of annuities optional rather than mandatory.
Drawn up by pensions minister Steve Webb, the reforms will be seen as chiefly Lib Dem offerings. Since this pensions overhaul was announced in the budget in March, the Coalition has left itself open to Labour’s charge that it is presiding over a “zombie Parliament” that makes few new laws.
CHILDREN
A bill introducing free childcare of up to £2,000 a year for parents of children under 12, which was set out earlier this year.
PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
New legislation relaxing planning laws and empowering new locally led garden cities to provide housing.
High-value government land is to be sold off to encourage development and increase housing provision. Help to Buy promoted in the speech, despite recent Bank of England warnings about its contribution to an over-heating housing market.
Reforms to speed up infrastructure projects, including new freedoms for the Highways Agency.
FRACKING
Modification of trespass laws to allow fracking companies access to run shale gas pipelines deep under private land without getting prior permission.
MODERN SLAVERY
Setting out terms of reparations from traffickers to victims of slavery, compensating exploitation and loss of dignity.
CORPORATE OWNERSHIP
Increasing the disqualification period for directors who neglect their responsibilities and break the law, and introducing compensation for victims.
The bill will also introduce a public register of beneficial ownership. Shares which do not reveal the owner – so-called “bearer shares” – are to be scrapped and new restrictions on corporate directors, the practice of naming companies rather than people as directors.
SERIOUS CRIMES
New measures against child neglect, and powers to disrupt criminal gangs and strengthen powers to seize the proceeds of organised crime.
MP RECALL
Empowering constituents to recall an MP found guilty by the standards committee of breaching the members’ code of conduct. First promised by ministers in 2010 in a bid to curb public outrage at MPs who kept their seats despite involvement in the expenses scandal in 2009. Recalled MPs will face a by-election.
HEROISM
Legal protection for individuals who act heroically, responsibly or for the benefit of others. Courts to take such actions, performed in good faith, into account and “heroic” individuals to be safeguarded from negligence claims.
SMALL BUSINESS
Promise to cut red tape and help small businesses access finance. The bill will force ministers to set and report a deregulation target for each Parliament.
PUBS
Introduction of a new statutory code and dispute adjudicator for pub landlords.
EMPLOYMENT
High penalties on employers who fail to pay their staff the minimum wage. Reduction in employment tribunal delays and improvement in fairness of contracts for low paid workers pledged.
Legislation to tackle avoidance of national insurance contributions and simplify collection from the self employed.
LIMIT ON PUBLIC SECTOR PAYOUTS
Preventing highly-remunerated NHS executives and civil servants from taking redundancy and then going back to the same place of work within a year.
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
All children to receive free school meals. Help for more schools in England to become academies. GCSE and A level reform to raise standards in schools and prepare school pupils for employment.
Raising the number of apprenticeships to 2 million by the end of the Parliament.
… AND THE REST
SCOTLAND: More financial powers to be granted to Holyrood.
WALES: The Welsh government given greater powers over taxation and investment.
ARMED FORCES WATCHDOG: Creation of an ombudsman to handle complaints in the armed forces.
PLASTIC BAGS: 5p charge for bags, as announced at Lib Dem conference last year
PARKS: Direct elections to national park authorities in England.
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