The Automated Vehicles Bill would put into place measures announced in the 2023 King’s Speech to set up a legal framework to enable self-driving cars in the UK. It would establish a regulatory regime for authorising the vehicles, deal with criminal liability and marketing restrictions and allow for automated passenger services, among other things.
Automated Vehicles Bill [HL] (614KB PDF)
The Automated Vehicles Bill [HL] is a government bill introduced in the House of Lords at the beginning of the 2023–24 parliamentary session. Its second reading in the House of Lords is due to take place on 28 November 2023.
The bill would put measures announced in the 2023 King’s Speech in place. In the speech, the government said it would “deliver one of the world’s most comprehensive legal frameworks for self-driving vehicles, with safety at its core”.
The bill would implement the legal framework to enable self-driving vehicles recommended by the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission, which was then taken up in a government policy paper published in August 2022. It would build on measures in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 concerning insurance. The bill would:
Automated Vehicles Bill [HL] (614KB PDF)
The Railways Bill would implement parts of the government’s plan to nationalise the railways, which was a manifesto commitment. It would create Great British Railways, a new publicly owned body that would be a “directing mind” for the railways, bringing “track and train together”. It would also give new powers to the Passengers’ Council and require the government to publish a long-term strategy for rail, among other things.
The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill is a government bill that would provide powers to nationalise a company involved in steel manufacturing where it is in the public interest. It completed its House of Commons stages on 9 June 2026 and is scheduled for second reading in the House of Lords on 16 June 2026. The government has explained the bill is being fast-tracked as it believes it is necessary to safeguard the future of the UK steel industry. It says this is important for the UK economy, national security and critical infrastructure.
The Commercial Payments Bill seeks to tackle late payments to small businesses, estimated to affect 44% of invoices. It would impose minimum payment periods for invoices, prohibit the use of retentions in construction contracts and provide the small business commissioner with greater powers. The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 19 May 2026 and is due to receive its second reading on 9 June 2026.
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