From tourist tax to digital ID: BBC correspondents on the key bills

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGetty ImagesKing Charles III has set out the government's law-making plans in a speech to Parliament. Despite furious speculation about his leadership, Sir Keir Starmer has said he will "get on with governing" and the speech outlines his agenda for the next parliamentary session. Here, BBC correspondents analyse some of the potential new bills Sir Keir's government wants to pass. The Northern Powerhouse rail bill promises £45bn will be invested in major improvements to rail services between key cities in the north of England. It will be carried out in three stages. Firstly there will be electrification and other improvements on routes between Leeds and Bradford, as well as Sheffield and York. Then, there will be a new high-speed route between Liverpool and Manchester via Warrington and Manchester Airport. Thirdly, the government is promising better cross-Pennine links, over and above the improvements that are already under way. The scheme involves adapting the existing High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) bill, which was originally born in 2024 – following the cancellation of the northern sections of HS2. It's no surprise to see this on the agenda. Major rail improvements in the north of England have been promised for years – with the promise of huge economic benefits once they're in place. Little has actually been done. The plans are not as ambitious as they once were. But the chancellor has insisted this time they will actually go ahead. Energy policy has been a contentious issue with opposition politicians, businesses and even Labour-friendly unions calling for the government to be more open to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. References to the Energy Independence Bill in the King's Speech show no sign of movement in that direction, with renewed promises to meet manifesto commitments to ban new oil and gas exploration licenses and accelerate adoption of renewables. One feature of UK energy prices is that the price of gas often dictates the price of electricity, as gas-fired power stations are often the bit of energy that helps supply meet demand. Plans to weaken that link are in the bill, along with measures to speed up the building of energy infrastructure to get new renewables connected to the grid more quickly by fast-tracking planning. The arrival of new substations, sea cables on shore and hundreds of miles of new pylons may create local disputes. Digital ID limps on - it was once heralded a "silver bullet" in the battle against illegal immigration, and now as "one way" for employers to check the credentials of new hires. It is not compulsory, and could help people who have no other official form of identification like a passport or driving licence, the King said in his speech. Last year Sir Keir Starmer told me he hoped the scheme would lead to people saving money on ID checks when taking on big financial commitments like a mortgage – needless to say, this did not go down very well with the ID verification industry. Despite a distinctly lukewarm reception from the public so far, support from the top for digital ID has never fallen off the agenda. Let's not forget it started life in the form of a national ID card under former prime minister Tony Blair in the early 2000s. The King's Speech contains emergency legislation to nationalise British Steel, which is based in Scunthorpe and employs 2,700 people. The government took operating control of the business in April last year to prevent furnaces running out of fuel. Owners Jingye seemed reluctant to ensure continued operations, and negotiations with the Chinese company to invest in new operations alongside government support hit a dead end. Attempts to find a new buyer for the plant were frustrated by Jinye's continued ownership - removing them as owners will allow that process to proceed. This is not the first time the government has effectively taken over British Steel. The Insolvency Service, a branch of the Department of Business and Trade, ran the company and underwrote its losses after it collapsed in 2019. That nine-month period cost the tax payer £600m, while the current government supervision regime has cost nearly £400m. Recent history suggests that this politically charged move could come with significant and, with no new buyer lined up, open-ended economic cost. Following the confirmation of leasehold reform in the King's Speech, the government has released details on when the new model of tenure, known as commonhold, will be introduced. It says it's "expected to be available in 2029"- which means, from that date, flat owners will purchase their home and the building and land beneath it, rather than it being owned by a freeholder. It also says a £250 cap on ground rents is expected in 2028. But the word "expected" is key, says Sebastian O'Kelly from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, as freeholders are likely to challenge the legislation in court. While the commitme

From tourist tax to digital ID: BBC correspondents on the key bills

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