This is the first speech that King Charles III will deliver as King from the throne in the House of Lords. In May 2022, he delivered the Queen’s Speech.

A number of Bills will be carried forward, but interestingly the Draft Audit Reform Bill is the only piece of legislation which did not get as far as a draft run. It is also understood that it is unlikely to be included in next month’s King’s Speech.

Four Bills are being carried over in to the next session of parliament, including the Data Protection and Digital Information (No 2) Bill; Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill; Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill and the Victims and Prisoners Bill.

Potential subjects of legislation, according to a briefing by the House of Commons Library, could include implementing legislation for UK accession to the Asia Pacific trade agreement – the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, leasehold and commonhold reform, changing the Habitats Regulations to ‘scrap nutrient neutrality’, criminal justice and raising the age of the sale of tobacco products.