The House of Lords is due to debate the Queen’s Speech over four days between 19 and 25 May 2016. This briefing is one of four prepared by the House of Lords Library to cover the themes of each day of debate.
Queen's Speech 2016 Day 4 (325KB PDF)
This briefing provides information on the following:
This briefing has been prepared in advance of the Queen’s Speech based on Government commitments and speculative reports about what legislative proposals may be included; it does not constitute official information about the Government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced.
Available separately are further briefings for each day’s debate on the Queen’s Speech. For further reading or more detailed information, Members are encouraged to contact the Library’s Research Desk.
Queen's Speech 2016 Day 4 (325KB PDF)
The Sovereign Grant Bill is a government bill which would amend how the sovereign grant is set. This is a grant paid to the King to support the work of the sovereign. The bill would enable the size of the sovereign grant to be reduced following the completion of a 10-year works project on Buckingham Palace. The bill received cross-party support and was not amended in the House of Commons.
The Microplastic Filters (Washing Machines) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative). It would require new washing machines to have filters to capture microfibres, a form of microplastic shed from synthetic clothing. It would also impose a duty on the secretary of state to promote awareness of microfibre pollution. The bill’s second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled for 11 September 2026.
![Microplastic Filters (Washing Machines) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 21 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Environment-568x426.png)
The Leaseholder Remediation (Building Safety) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill that would prevent developers and building owners from recovering remediation costs for systemic defects from protected leaseholders in residential buildings containing any leasehold properties, with no minimum height or storey threshold. Systemic defects would include unsafe cladding and structural deficiencies. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading on 11 September 2026.
![Leaseholder Remediation (Building Safety) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 18 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Housing-568x426.png)