Parliament is returning on 1 June and will sit for seven weeks before rising for summer recess on 16 July.
These seven weeks are set to be some of the most politically significant since the last general election, with the Makerfield by-election on 18 June potentially determining how long Sir Keir Starmer will survive in No 10.
However, while it is natural for the media to focus on the general drama and intrigue, the next two months will also see several important pieces of legislation begin to make their way through Parliament.
Streeting’s legacy
This includes the Health Bill, which had its First Reading on 14 May and will be read a second time in the House of Commons on 1 June.
The legislation could fairly be framed as Wes Streeting’s legacy as Health Secretary, with the Bill abolishing NHS England, reforming the accountability and commissioning structures of ICBs, attempting to strengthen patient voice, and establishing a single patient record.
The next two months will demonstrate which areas of the legislation will come under closest scrutiny, with expectations already forming that the abolition of Healthwatch will be a point of controversy, while safety concerns are likely to be raised about the single patient record.
Social Housing Bill’s narrow scope
Similar to the Health Bill, the Social Housing Bill had its First Reading on 14 May, with its Second Reading also scheduled for 1 June. However, this piece of legislation is making its way through the House of Lords first.
Unlike the Health Bill, the Social Housing Bill is expected to have a smoother passage through Parliament, with a targeted focus on Right to Buy reform, social housing protections, and the repeal of unimplemented Conservative-era housing measures.
Though narrow in scope, the Bill delivers on Labour manifesto commitments to protect social housing stock, a key part of the Government’s wider housing agenda.
The return of systemic risk?
Also being introduced in the House of Lords is the Financial Services and Markets Bill, which had its First Reading on 19 May and will be read a second time on 8 June.
This piece of legislation represents a major overhaul of the UK’s financial regulation, seeking to modernise the rulebook, improve flexibility, and strengthen the country’s position as a global financial centre.
Several measures are set out to achieve this, including substantial reforms to the bank ring-fencing scheme, easing operational restrictions on banks while preserving separations between retail banking and higher-risk investment activities.
There is some risk of controversy in the scrutiny of this Bill, with critics likely to argue that reforming ring-fencing could see the return of systemic risk, which post-2008 crisis regulations sought to reduce, leaving customers vulnerable to banking losses. The fact that the Government has been quiet about the legislation thus far gives further credence to the idea that opposition is expected to some of its provisions.
Pushback on cyber security
There is likely to be varying levels of pushback when it comes to legislation that is being reintroduced from the last session of Parliament.
The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, for example, will have its Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons on 10 June, before proceeding to the Lords. Given recent revelations about Mythos and wider cyber concerns, greater scrutiny from Peers on the scope of the legislation and powers of the Secretary of State is expected.
So, while politics is focused on Makerfield and June’s by-election, there is significant policy progressing through Parliament in the interim.
Find out more
DeHavilland’s Policy Analysts will be tracking these Bills over the coming weeks. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
