Crime and security dominates Queen’s Speech
The introduction of an identity card scheme heads the list of proposals in the Queen’s Speech for tackling terrorism and organised crime.
In a speech dominated by crime and security, the Government also set out plans to establish the Serious Organised Crime Agency, a British version of the FBI.
Setting out the Government’s pre-General Election legislative programme, the Queen told the House of Lords: “The Government recognises that we live in a time of global uncertainty with an increased threat from international terror and organised crime.
But the focus on crime and security has led to the criticism from the Liberal Democrats that the Government is stoking up the “politics of fear”.
The Conservatives on the other hand claim that Tony Blair is “all talk”.
Tackling crime domestically is also high on the agenda. Legislation will be brought forward to clamp down on drug and alcohol related crime, anti-social behaviour and juvenile crime.
Measures will be introduced to protect research staff from harassment by animal rights extremists and to help reduce the numbers of people killed on the roads, while company bosses could be prosecuted over negligence under a draft bill introducing a new offence of corporate manslaughter.
The programme also attached “the highest importance to extending educational opportunity”. Bills will be introduced to streamline the school inspections regime and to increase financial support for 16 to 19 year olds in training and education.
Discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, sex and disability in the provision of goods and services will be tackled through new legislation and a new Commission for Equality and Human Rights will be established.
The Government is also cracking down on unfair lending practices through an update of consumer credit law.
On transport, the long-awaited Crossrail project will finally get the official go-ahead through an authorisation bill, and tackling congestion caused by the school-run is at the heart of a School Transport Bill.
The legislative programme contains 37 bills in total, but with a general election imminent it is likely that many of them will not get sufficient parliamentary time to be passed.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten criticised the plans to introduce ID cards, arguing it was nonsense to suggest a piece of plastic would help tackle the terrorist threat.
He told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: “I don’t for one minute suggest that we’re not in difficult times. The warning shot that we want to put across the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary is don’t over-react to this in relation to certain forms of legislation.”
