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 (325 KB , 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 (325 KB , PDF)
In the autumn budget the chancellor announced changes to inheritance tax reliefs. From April 2026, taxes would apply to agricultural assets over £1mn (or up to £3mn in certain circumstances). The government has said this would just affect the wealthiest landowners and disincentivise buying agricultural land to avoid tax. Farming groups have argued the policy is a threat to the future of family farming and the UK's food security.
Homelessness and housing sector commentators argue that there is an undersupply of affordable housing, which they suggest is a key driver of homelessness. Successive governments have sought to address the issue of homelessness in part by increasing the supply of affordable homes and improving the quality of existing accommodation. The current government’s new taskforce on homelessness says it will seek to increase the supply and security of housing.
In February 2024 the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published a report on large language models and generative AI. It highlighted the opportunities and risks this technology offers, and recommended actions the government should take to support the market while mitigating risks. The new government has said it will legislate to address safety risks arising from generative AI.
