Bills in Queen's Speech: Northern Ireland

The foillowing is a list of Bills from the Queen's Speech that apply all or in part to Northern Ireland. (Edited from BBC)

Here is an at-a-glance list of the bills outlined in the 2009 Queen's Speech programme:

Bribery Bill
Makes it illegal to bribe a foreign official to obtain or retain business. Makes it an offence if businesses fail to prevent a bribe being paid by their employees or by other firms on their behalf. Extends to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Child Poverty Bill
Puts into law the government's commitment to end child poverty by 2020. Ensures the government must make annual reports to Parliament on the success of its strategies to end child poverty. Duty on all local authorities to deal with the problem. Whole bill applies to England. Some parts also apply to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Children, Schools and Families Bill
Offers pupil and parent guarantees for standards of education. Schools to be given "report cards". Promises "greater flexibility" for primary schools to set their own curriculums. Also ensures that all young people receive at least one year of sex and relationships education. Home educators will have to be registered and inspected. A review of the publication of family proceedings in court. Whole bill applies to England. Other parts cover Wales and extends in part to Northern Ireland.

Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill
Makes it an offence to use, produce, develop, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer cluster munitions. Applies to whole UK.

Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill
Creates basis in law for Parliament to scrutinise treaties. Ends the by-election of hereditary peers to sit in House of Lords. Provides for disqualification of peers convicted of serious offences or subject to a bankruptcy order. Allows peers to resign peerages. Repeals legislation limiting protests around Parliament. Generally extends to whole UK.

Digital Economy Bill
Gives media regulator Ofcom the duty to assess the UK's communications infrastructure every two years. Updates regulations to make the digital radio switchover possible by 2015. Makes age ratings compulsory on all video games designed for children aged 12 and above. Promises to tackle infringement of copyright more effectively. Updates regulations for Channel 4, so it has to put public service content on its websites. Extends to whole UK.

Financial Services Bill
Establishes a Council for Financial Stability, chaired by the chancellor, and comprising Treasury, Bank of England and Financial Services Authority (FSA). Strengthens the FSA to take "action" on pay of those in financial services, following the recent outcry over bonuses. Promises action, in UK and internationally, on bankers' pay. Makes banks and other financial firms set up "living will" to make them easier to wind down in the event of a crisis. Bans unsolicited credit card cheques and enables the setting up of national money guidance service. Allows groups of consumers to bring court actions against financial institutions. Applies to whole UK.

Fiscal Responsibility Bill
Provides a "firm and binding statutory basis" for the government's promise to halve its budget deficit within four years. Gives Parliament power to approve medium-term fiscal plans. Promises that businesses and investors will have "certainty" about the government's fiscal plans. Applies to whole UK.

DRAFT BILLS
House of Lords Reform Bill
Promises that the Lords will be between 80% and 100% elected. States the government should not hold a majority in the second chamber and its members must be independent. Applies to whole UK.

International Development Spending Bill
Requires that 0.7% of gross national income is spent on development from 2013. Applies to whole UK.