The Queen's Speech 2017

After the Queen's Speech, each House will adjourn then start a series of debates on the content of the Speech and the legislative programme which the Speech has set out.

The House of Lords debates will involve a short session on Wednesday afternoon, where formal (often amusing) speeches will be made. The serious, in depth debate will begin on the following day, Thursday June 22nd. House of Lords Briefing Papers on each debate can be accessed by clicking on the links underlined for each day.

The robes will have disappeared and Peers will wear their usual working clothes.

Queen's Speech 2017: Day 1 - covering Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs; Defence; International Trade & International Development. (Thursday 22nd June)

Queen's Speech 2017: Day 2 - Business; Economic Affairs; Transport; Energy and the Environment and Agriculture . (Monday 26th June)

Queen's Speech 2017: Day 3 - Home Affairs; Communities & Local Government; Justice; Constitutional Affairs; Devolved Affairs. (Tuesday 27th June)

Queen's Speech 2017: Day 4 - Exiting the European Union (Wednesday 28th June)

Queen's Speech 2017: Day 5 - Education; Health; Welfare; Pensions and Culture. (Thursday 29th June)

The Speakers' list for each day is available for each day at calendar.parliament.uk

Constitutional (& related) Issues

Yesterday the House of Lords had a full day's debate on "Home, Legal and Constitutional Affairs and Local Government" matters arising from the Queen's Speech. I sat in the gallery (and apart from two short breaks for a drink) sat through the seven and a half hours of the debate - it was worth watching - many of the key arguments which will be discussed in the session were rehearsed. You can read the speeches in Hansard, which is available here.

In the Queen's Speech there were 23 bills announced. Of particular interest in the fields of Constitutional and Administrative matters & Human Rights are bills on

• Parliamentary Reform
• Defence of Parliamentary Privilege [Draft]
• EU
• Public Bodies Reform
• Local Government
• Decentralisation & Localism
• Freedom
• Identity Documents
• Terrorist Asset Freezing Bill

To follow these bills (which may aquire slightly different titles) you can follow via the Parliamentary Website, which is accessible here.

The first days of a new session

The first few days of a session are spent by both Houses of the UK Parliament debating the Queen's Speech. The first part of this occured yesterday afternoon with the proposer and seconder of a motion -

"That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:
Most Gracious Sovereign, We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament."

The first two speeches are by tradition humourous. Then the serious business begins. The Leader of the Opposition spoke first and the debate will continue into next week. Each day's debate in each House deals with particular subject areas. The details can be found at http://services.parliament.uk/calendar/