House of Lords

Wednesday 29th April 2026 Lords Chamber

Wednesday 29 April 2026

13:15

Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Sheffield.

Hereditary Peers

Wednesday 29th April 2026 Lords Chamber

Announcement

13:21

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Forsyth of Drumlean)]

My Lords, at the conclusion of this Session, those noble Lords who sit by virtue of hereditary peerages will cease to be Members of this House. On behalf of the House, I pay tribute to their distinguished service and offer them our sincere thanks.

Royal Commission

Wednesday 29th April 2026 Lords Chamber

13:22

The Lords Commissioners were: Baroness Smith of Basildon, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, Earl Howe, Baroness Hayman and Lord Beith.

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Smith of Basildon) (Lab)]

My Lords, it not being convenient for His Majesty personally to be present here this day, he has been pleased to cause a Commission under the Great Seal to be prepared for proroguing this present Parliament.

When the Commons were present at the Bar, the Lord Privy Seal continued:

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, His Majesty, not thinking fit personally to be present here at this time, has been pleased to cause a Commission to be issued under the Great Seal, and thereby given His Royal Assent to divers Acts which have been agreed by both Houses of Parliament, the Titles whereof are particularly mentioned, and by the said Commission has commanded us to declare and notify His Royal Assent to the said several Acts, in the presence of you the Lords and Commons assembled for that purpose; and has also assigned to us and other Lords directed full power and authority in His Majesty’s name to prorogue this present Parliament. Which commission you will now hear read.

A Commission for Royal Assent and Prorogation was read:

Charles The Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, To Our right trusty and right well-beloved the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and to Our trusty and well-beloved the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons in this present Parliament assembled, Greeting:

Forasmuch as in Our said Parliament divers Acts have been agreed upon by you Our loving Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons, the short Titles of which are set forth in the Schedule hereto but the said Acts are not of force and effect in the Law without Our Royal Assent and forasmuch as We cannot at this time be present in the Higher House of Our said Parliament being the accustomed place for giving Our Royal Assent to such Acts as have been agreed upon by you Our said Subjects the Lords and Commons We have therefore caused these Our Letters Patent to be made and have signed them and by them do give Our Royal Assent to the said Acts Willing that the said Acts shall be of the same strength force and effect as if We had been personally present in the said Higher House and had publicly and in the presence of you all assented to the same commanding also Our well-beloved and faithful Counsellor David Lindon Lammy Chancellor of Great Britain to seal these Our Letters with the Great Seal of Our Realm and also commanding The Most Reverend Our faithful Counsellor Sarah Elisabeth Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of All England and Metropolitan Our well-beloved and faithful Counsellors

David Lindon Lammy Chancellor of Great Britain

Michael Bruce Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Lord Speaker

Angela Evans Baroness Smith of Basildon Lord Privy Seal

Frederick Richard Penn Earl Howe

Helene Valerie Baroness Hayman

Alan James Lord Beith

or any three or more of them to declare this Our Royal Assent in the said Higher House in the presence of you the said Lords and Commons and the Clerk of Our Parliaments to endorse the said Acts in Our name as is requisite and to record these Our Letters Patent and the said Acts in manner accustomed and We do declare that after this Our Royal Assent given and declared as is aforesaid then and immediately the said Acts shall be taken and accepted as good and perfect Acts of Parliament and be put in due execution accordingly.

And whereas we did lately for divers difficult and pressing affairs concerning Us the State and defence of Our United Kingdom and Church ordain this Our present Parliament to begin and be holden at Our City of Westminster the ninth day of July in the second year of Our Reign on which day Our said Parliament was begun and holden and is there now holden Know Ye that for certain pressing causes and considerations Us especially moving We have thought fit to prorogue Our said Parliament.

We therefore confiding very much in the fidelity prudence and circumspection of you Our Commissioners aforesaid have by the advice and consent of Our Council assigned you Our Commissioners giving to you or any three or more of you by virtue of these Presents full power and authority in Our name to prorogue and continue Our present Parliament at Our City of Westminster aforesaid on a day no earlier than Wednesday the twenty-ninth day of April and no later than Wednesday the sixth day of May until and unto Wednesday the thirteenth day of May there then to be holden and we command you that you diligently attend the premises and effectually fulfil them in manner aforesaid We also strictly command all and singular Our Archbishops Bishops Lords Baronets Knights Citizens and Burgesses and all others whom it concerns to meet at Our said Parliament by virtue of these Presents that they observe obey and assist you in executing the premises as they ought to do In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent witness Ourself at Westminster the twenty- ninth day of April in the fourth year of Our Reign By The King Himself signed with His own Hand.

The Lord Privy Seal continued:

My Lords, in obedience to His Majesty’s Commands, and by virtue of the Commission which has now been read, We do declare and notify to you, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled, that His Majesty has given His Royal Assent to the Acts in the Commission mentioned; and the Clerks are required to pass the same in the usual Form and Words.

Royal Assent

Royal Assent
Wednesday 29th April 2026 Lords Chamber

13:42

Royal Assent was signified for the following Acts:

National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Act,

Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Act,

Ministerial Salaries (Amendment) Act,

Tobacco and Vapes Act,

Victims and Courts Act,

Crime and Policing Act,

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act,

Pension Schemes Act,

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act.

Prorogation: His Majesty’s Speech

Wednesday 29th April 2026 Lords Chamber

13:44

His Majesty’s most gracious Speech was then delivered to both Houses of Parliament by the Lord Privy Seal, in pursuance of His Majesty’s Command, as follows.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, my Government has been focused on laying the foundations for economic growth and driving up living standards across the country.

The focus of my Government’s fiscal rules has been to keep public finances on a sustainable path. Legislation was passed to ensure that no government can announce fiscally significant measures without being subject to an independent assessment, thereby improving transparency and accountability. Action has been taken to bear down on inflation and ensure that GDP continues to rise over the next 10 years.

My Ministers have encouraged economic stability, attracted investment and supported British businesses. Laws were passed to enhance financial stability and improve my Government’s ability to manage bank failures. Measures were also introduced to crack down on fraud against public authorities. Data reforms will boost digital innovation and new laws will ensure the UK remains the global destination of choice for dispute resolution.

My Government has taken steps to ensure growth and security by investing in the future. Legislation was passed to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel and enable the United Kingdom to become a world leader in this emerging technology. Swift action ensured the continued, safe production of British steel.

Action was also taken to overhaul the planning system, removing barriers to housebuilding and the development of critical national infrastructure.

My Government delivered legislation to modernise employment rights, benefiting 18 million workers across the country. This included new protections for people on zero or low hours contracts and a day-one right to sick pay, bereavement leave and paternity and unpaid parental leave.

To provide greater security for those in retirement, measures were passed to consolidate pension funds so that people should receive better outcomes from their pension savings.

My Government is committed to ensuring that critical public services are accessible to all, represent value for money and improve people’s everyday lives. Public investment has been maintained at the highest sustained level in four decades and capital spending will increase by more than £120 billion over this Parliament. My Government has raised the national minimum wage to ensure that those on the lowest incomes are rewarded for their hard work.

My Ministers have sought to improve the experience of using public transport. Local leaders have been given greater control over bus services in their area and rail passenger services have begun to be brought back into public ownership. My Government has set out plans for the creation of Great British Railways, a new, publicly owned company that will transform the rail network.

Legislation was passed to give water industry regulators the powers to hold water companies and executives to account for polluting waterways. Great British Energy was established to power the nation with clean, secure, homegrown energy.

Mayors have been granted new powers to take local decisions in the interests of the communities they serve, delivering better outcomes for people and places across England.

New laws have been passed to drive up standards and ensure the safety and well-being of children in education and social care. My Government will reduce child poverty by giving families the financial support to give their children the best start in life.

My Government has championed significant public health intervention, creating the United Kingdom’s first smoke-free generation. New legislation will give patients greater control over their care during a mental health crisis and empower NHS staff to provide more personalised support, whilst keeping patients and the public safe. My Ministers have acted to address barriers to career progression for doctors trained in the United Kingdom.

My Ministers have sought to ensure that millions of private renters have more protection in their homes and are no longer threatened by discrimination, opportunistic rent increases and no-fault evictions.

My Government introduced legislation to ensure that the criminal justice system puts victims first and brings criminals to justice sooner. Changes to the sentencing of offenders will help to stabilise the prison system and ensure local communities are kept safe.

Ensuring the protection of the United Kingdom’s borders, and security of public places, is a priority for my Government. New laws have modernised the asylum and immigration system by establishing a new Border Security Command and delivering enhanced powers to tackle organised immigration crime. Measures were passed to improve the safety and security of certain public venues and help keep the British public safe from terrorism. New criminal justice reforms will give police more powers to protect the public from anti-social behaviour, tackle violence against women and girls, and increase safety online.

Democratic integrity and accountability in public life are central to my Government’s mission. Legislation has been introduced to impose a duty of candour on public servants.

My Ministers have brought forward legislation to extend voting rights to 16 and 17 year-olds, improve voter registration and guard against the threat of foreign interference in elections.

My Government took action to ensure Parliament is reflective of modern Britain. Legislation was passed to remove all remaining hereditary Peers from the House of Lords. My Government also delivered reforms to enable Roman Catholics to act as my representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Measures were passed to enable the building of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, honouring the 6 million Jewish people who were murdered and preserving their story for generations to come. Legislation passed this Session will enable my Government to fund the creation of a lasting memorial to the Grenfell tragedy.

My Government has committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. NATO remains the cornerstone of United Kingdom security and my Government’s commitment to the alliance is unshakeable.

My Government has responded to the crisis in the Middle East, working around the clock to keep British citizens in the region safe. My Government will continue to work with international partners to support energy security and a return to stability in the Middle East.

My Ministers have taken action towards achieving lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians by formally recognising the State of Palestine as part of a broader international effort to support a viable pathway to peace.

The United Kingdom’s support to Ukraine remains ironclad. My Ministers hosted the London Summit on Ukraine, co-led the Coalition of the Willing with France and have imposed over 1,200 sanctions on Russia. My Government has agreed a One Hundred Year Partnership agreement with Ukraine to deepen military, economic, cultural and technological co-operation, as well as contributing up to £21.8 billion in military, humanitarian and other financial support since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

My Government is building a new geopolitical relationship with the European Union, including advancing co-operation through joint summits. My Ministers hosted the 4th European Political Community Summit and the Western Balkans Summit, as well as signing treaties to further strengthen relationships with Germany and France.

Legislation passed in this Session will enable the United Kingdom to play its role in protecting the world’s oceans and preserving the extraordinary ecosystems that are vital to the health of the planet.

My Government has invested further in our gallant Armed Forces by introducing significant pay rises for service personnel, extending childcare for forces families, and delivering a £9 billion defence housing strategy. An independent Armed Forces Commissioner has been established to investigate welfare matters, oversee the service complaints system and act as an independent champion for service personnel and their families.

The Queen and I were pleased to receive the State Visits of His Highness The Amir of Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher; the President of the French Republic and Mrs Brigitte Macron; the President and First Lady of the United States; the President of the Federal Republic of Germany and Ms. Büdenbender; and the President and First Lady of Nigeria. We were also delighted to be welcomed on an outward State Visit to the United States of America.

Members of the House of Commons, I thank you for the provisions which you have made for the work and dignity of the Crown and for the public services.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Smith of Basildon) (Lab)]

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, by virtue of His Majesty’s Commission which has been now read, we do, in His Majesty’s name, and in obedience to His Majesty’s Commands, prorogue this Parliament to the 13th day of May, to be then here holden, and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Wednesday, the 13th day of May.

Parliament was prorogued at 1.54 pm.