Government's Legislative Programme (Northern Ireland)

Thursday 28th May 2015 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mrs Theresa Villiers)]

The first Session UK legislative programme unveiled in the Queen’s Speech on 27 May contains measures of relevance to the people of Northern Ireland.



The following is a summary of the legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech and its proposed application to Northern Ireland.



The list also identifies the lead Government Department.

The following Bills will extend to Northern Ireland, in whole or in part, and deal mainly with excepted/reserved matters. Discussions will continue between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that, where provisions that are specifically for a transferred purpose are included in any of these Bills, the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly will be sought for them:

Finance Bill (HM Treasury)

National Insurance Contributions (HM Treasury)

Bank of England (HM Treasury)

Immigration (Home Office)

Scotland (Scotland Office)

Wales (Wales Office)

Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement) (Northern Ireland Office)

EU (Referendum) (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

EU (Finance) (HM Treasury)

Investigatory Powers (Home Office)

Psychoactive Substances (Home Office)

Armed Forces (Ministry of Defence)

Votes for Life (Cabinet Office)

The following Bills may extend to Northern Ireland to varying degrees. They may require the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly in relation to provisions in the devolved field:

Full Employment and Welfare Benefits (Department for Work and Pensions)

Energy (Department of Energy and Climate Change)

Enterprise (The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)

Policing and Criminal Justice (Home Office)

Extremism (Home Office)

Discussions will continue between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on those Bills that might include provisions that require the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly

The following Bills will have limited or no application to Northern Ireland:

Housing (Department for Communities and Local Government)

Education and Adoption (Department for Education)

HS2 (carried over from last Parliament) (Department for Transport)

Buses (Department for Transport)

Cities and Local Government Devolution (Department of Communities and Local Government) Charities (Social Investment and Protection) (Cabinet Office)

Trade Unions (The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)

Childcare (Department for Education)

[HCWS2]