Tuesday Volume 543 1 May 2012 No. 297 Part1of2 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 1 May 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 1371 1 MAY 2012 1372 House of Commons Her Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech Mr Speaker: I have further to acquaint the House that Tuesday 1 May 2012 the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, one of the Lords Commissioners, delivered Her Majesty’s Most The House met at half-past One o’clock Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, in pursuance of Her Majesty’s Command. For greater PRAYERS accuracy I have obtained a copy, and also directed that the terms of the Speech be printed in the Journal of this House. Copies are being made available in the Vote Office. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] The speech was as follows: MESSAGE TO ATTEND THE LORDS My Lords and Members of the House of Commons COMMISSIONERS My Government’s legislative programme has been based Message to attend the Lords Commissioners delivered upon the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility. by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. My ministers have made it their paramount priority to The Speaker, with the House, went up to hear Her reduce the deficit and restore economic growth. To this Majesty’s Commission; on their return, the Speaker sat end legislation has been enacted to establish the Office of in the Clerk’s place at the Table. Budget Responsibility and legislation has been introduced to reform the financial services sector. ROYAL ASSENT My Government has set out plans to restore the public Mr Speaker: I have to acquaint the House that the finances to a sustainable position and meet its fiscal targets. House has been to the House of Peers where a Commission The Duke of Edinburgh and I were pleased to visit under the Great Seal was read, authorising the Royal Canada and also Australia to attend the Commonwealth Assent to the following Acts: Heads of Government Meeting in Perth. Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Act 2012 We received a warm welcome on our State Visits to the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Republic of Ireland Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders and on our visit to the United States. We were glad to Act 2012 welcome his Holiness the Pope, His Highness the Emir Scotland Act 2012 of Qatar, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympic Turkey and the President of the United States of America Games) Act 2012 on their visits to the United Kingdom. To mark the Diamond Jubilee, city status will be bestowed on Chelmsford, Perth and St. Asaph and the City of Armagh will be granted a Lord Mayoralty. The Duke of Edinburgh and I intend to travel across the United Kingdom and my family will travel throughout the Commonwealth to take part in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Legislation has been passed in advance of the Olympic and Paralympic Games which are to be held in London later this year. Legislation has been passed with regard to my armed forces who continue to serve valiantly in Afghanistan and other places across the globe. My Government has worked to address the threat of Iranian nuclear proliferation and to help build a stable Afghanistan. My Government has worked to stem the violence in Syria and to support political and economic freedom in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. Legislation has been enacted to reform the constitutional arrangements of the United Kingdom, including an Act to establish fixed parliamentary terms of five years. Legislation has been passed to empower local communities, to provide for elected mayors and to establish elected police commissioners in England and Wales. My ministers have worked to restore trust in political institutions and have sought to rebalance the relationship between the state and the citizen. In pursuance of this aim existing regulatory burdens have been reviewed and legislation has been passed to repeal unnecessary laws and to abolish identity cards. 1373 Her Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech1 MAY 2012 Her Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech 1374 Legislation has been enacted to ensure that Parliament to examine the Welsh devolution settlement. My Government and citizens are involved in any proposals to transfer powers is committed to working closely with the Northern Ireland to the European Union. Measures have been passed to Executive to rebalance the economy and build a shared reform legal aid and the sentencing of offenders. future in Northern Ireland. Reform of the public services has been a priority for my Members of the House of Commons: ministers. To this end, legislation has been enacted to I thank you for the provisions which you have made for reform the National Health Service, postal services and the work and dignity of the Crown and for the public other public services. My Government has also taken services. forward policies aimed at encouraging greater individual My Lords and Members of the House of Commons and social responsibility. I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon Legislation has been enacted to provide teachers with your counsels. greater freedom over the curriculum, to help more schools establish academy status and to allow new providers to run state schools. PROROGATION Legislation has been enacted to reform pensions and the welfare system. My Government established a Commission Mr Speaker: The Commission was also for proroguing to consider wider reforms to public sector pensions and this present Parliament, and the Chancellor of the has committed itself to bringing forward legislation to Duchy of Lancaster said: implement the findings of that Commission. An Act has “My Lords and Members of the House of Commons: been passed to make fair and transparent payments to By virtue of Her Majesty’s Commission, which has now Equitable Life policy holders. been read, we do, in Her Majesty’s name, and in obedience to Her Majesty’s Commands, prorogue this Parliament to My Government has championed efforts to tackle climate Wednesday the ninth day of May to be then here holden, change and legislation has been passed to improve energy and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Wednesday efficiency and security. the ninth day of May.” My ministers have worked to foster a strong working End of the First Session (opened on 25 May 2010) of relationship with the devolved administrations. Legislation the Fifty-Fifth Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great has been enacted to strengthen the devolution settlement Britain and Northern Ireland in the Sixty-First Year of in Scotland. In Wales, a Commission has been established the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second. 57WS Written Ministerial Statements1 MAY 2012 Written Ministerial Statements 58WS Lloyds TSB, Deloitte, Airwave, Atkins, GlaxoSmithKline, Written Ministerial Next, Thames Water, Thomas Cook, Sainsbury’s, Cadbury/ Trebor, and John Lewis. Statements Collectively, they are powerful advocates for London 2012, both in the UK and in overseas markets, and have made possible community, sporting and education Tuesday 1 May 2012 programmes that will make these games stand apart, such as LOCOG’s schools based Get Set programme which now reaches children in 80% of schools across the UK. Many have gone much further, such as Sainsbury’s CABINET OFFICE sponsorship of the school games. Their partnership with London 2012 will reach communities across the UK. To highlight but a few—GE’s £4.8 million funding Ministerial Pensions of a new intensive care unit in Homerton hospital, Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of street games, and McDonald’s financial and training support for the London 2012 The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster games makers. Sponsors’ contributions depend on their General (Mr Francis Maude): On 15 March I laid before ability to secure exclusive association with the games the House an amendment scheme to the ministerial within their sector for purposes of marketing and other pension scheme to introduce an increase in member promotional activity. contributions from April 2012 and set out the detail in a To ensure that suppliers, who have been engaged on written ministerial statement, Official Report, column commercial terms and have not purchased sponsorship 33WS. In order to ensure that this change in contributions rights, do not prejudice LOCOG’s ability to benefit does not inadvertently increase the benefits earned by from the significant value provided by its sponsors, the members of this pension scheme, which are determined contracts with suppliers contain the London 2012 “No by a complex calculation, it is now necessary to make Marketing Rights Clauses”. However, to enable the some further small technical changes by way of an appropriate identification by businesses of the way in amendment scheme. which they have contributed to the games, LOCOG has I have notified the trustees of the Parliamentary developed a detailed protocol which allows businesses Contributory Pension Fund, the Independent Parliamentary that have supplied goods and services to the games to Standards Authority and the Government Actuary of refer to that fact in different contexts. For example, such the need for this further technical amendment scheme businesses may mention the work they have undertaken to deliver the contribution increase on which I consulted in relation to the games in the form of an accurate last year. factual statement in the following materials: The details of the amendment scheme have been laid client lists; before the House.