This Lords Library briefing has been prepared in advance of the forthcoming Queen’s Speech, which is due to take place on 21 June 2017. The House of Lords is due to debate the Queen’s Speech over five days between 22 and 29 June 2017. This briefing is one of five prepared by the House of Lords Library to cover the themes of each day of debate.
Queen's Speech 2017 Day 4 (4MB PDF)
The Conservative Party won the largest number of seats at the 2017 general election, but did not secure an overall majority in the House of Commons. At the time of writing, the Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party were in negotiations regarding a potential coalition or confidence and supply arrangement. Any agreement between the parties will have implications for which proposals the Government will bring forward. However, in lieu of any agreement, the Conservatives may seek to govern without a majority, which again will affect the contents of the Queen’s Speech. The Labour Party has said it will table an amendment, setting out its own programme for government.
In this context, this briefing sets out commitments in the Conservative Party manifesto for each policy area to be debated, together with relevant policy and legislative proposals made by the previous Conservative Government. It does not constitute official information about the Government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced. This briefing also highlights sections of the Democratic Unionist Party manifesto, and comments or material from opposition parties, which may be helpful in establishing which Conservative proposals will be put forward in the Queen’s Speech. Again, this does not constitute official information about the forthcoming legislative programme, rather it is provided with the aim of indicating the policy intentions of parties prior to the general election.
The Government announced on 17 June 2017 that the forthcoming parliamentary session would last two years to “give MPs enough time to fully consider the laws required to make Britain ready for Brexit”.
Queen's Speech 2017 Day 4 (4MB PDF)
The UK is a signatory to the convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine. The commission would assess claims for compensation for damage and losses caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has broadly welcomed the convention, but also raised concerns about the scope and efficacy of the commission.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
Concerns about abuse and intimidation towards elected representatives have increased in recent years. The Jo Cox Civility Commission made a number of recommendations in a 2024 report to address this because of concerns that this activity would dissuade people from standing in elections and encourage existing representatives to stand down. The government has instigated a number of policies to tackle the abuse and intimidation of elected representatives.
