This evening, I had the opportunity to welcome the Government’s new legislative agenda that was set out in last week’s King’s Speech. This was the first speech delivered by the King since the coronation and is the last one prior to next year’s General Election. The speech is written by the Government and sets out its agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session.
Marking the official opening of this parliamentary session, the speech outlined the Government’s agenda for the next session. The King outlined four priorities for parliament: Growing the Economy, Strengthening Society, Keeping People Safe and Promoting our National Interests.
To achieve these goals, the Government has outlined how upcoming legislation will set the country on the right trajectory in the long term, tackling underlying problems in society. In each of these areas, Ministers are committed to taking the right decisions to deliver change so that everyone in the UK can have a brighter future. This means we have to tackle inflation, prioritise growth, reduce debt and cut waiting lists. Due to the demand to speak, my speech came on the last day of the debate.
The topic of the day’s debate was Violence Reduction, Policing and Criminal Justice.
In my opening remarks, I wished to draw attention to the low levels of crime that we face in all areas of the constituency. There is a strong community spirit across the patch that has made Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner a safe place to work, live and raise a family. It is therefore right that the Government looks at strengthening our laws to maintain my constituents' safety.
Key pieces of legislation such as the Victims and Prisoners Bill, as well as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will give my constituents greater peace of mind.
The Victims and Prisoners Bill introduces a suite of measures intended to improve the way in which we tackle the issue of crime and give particular credence to the victims of crime. This is particularly important to my constituents who have been victims of crime and for women and girls who have been victims of harassment on public transport and in the local area. Thanks to the lobbying of parliamentary colleagues, Transport for London are seeking to make public transport safer for women while the Government’s plans place the victims code on a statutory footing.
Online crime has been on the rise in recent years. The Government’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill seeks to update our laws to take account of the changing world in which we live. The Bill will help my constituents feel safe using the internet and protect them from online fraud, scams and push payments. It is vital that we are protected online in our increasingly digital society.
Finalising my remarks, I briefly discussed the ceasefire amendments tabled by the Scottish National Party. Residents will know that I have condemned the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas and the targeted massacre of civilians that we saw that day. The Government has been clear in its support for humanitarian efforts to support the residents of Gaza and in its calls for international law to be upheld in the region. It is clear that if we are to break the long-term cycle of violence; you can hear my full remarks in my speech.
