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 (4 MB , 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 (4 MB , PDF)
While international attention has largely been focused on the Middle East and Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan continues. The UN has characterised the conflict as the “world’s largest hunger crisis”. As peace negotiations stall, concerns are rising not only for the people of Sudan but also about the conflict spreading to neighbouring states.
In light of the UK government’s recent proposals to reform the House of Lords, this briefing presents facts and figures comparing the House of Lords with other second chambers around the world.
Former prime minister Theresa May joined the House of Lords in August 2024 after standing down as an MP ahead of the 2024 general election. This followed David Cameron being appointed in November 2023 to serve as foreign secretary. This page lists former UK prime ministers who have held office since 1902, together with information on whether the individuals later received a peerage entitling them to sit in the House of Lords.
