The Queen delivered her speech at the state opening of parliament today.
Prime minister Gordon Brown’s legislative plans for the coming year were revealed in the 29 bills and draft bills mentioned.
Included in the address was the child maintenance and other payments bill, which will establish the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, that will have tougher powers to obligate absent parents to pay for their children.
A number of provisions of the criminal justice and immigration bill will extend to cover Scotland, despite relating for the most part to England.
The Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts bill will allow the government to use money held in accounts anywhere in the UK that have not been used in the past 15 years to provide more facilities for youths.
Following the Queen’s speech, the government’s plans for the year will be debated by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.