Commons Sitting of 17 October 1996

Preamble
The House met at half-past Nine o'clock

PRAYERS
[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]
Message to attend the Lords Commissioners:
The House went;—and, having returned:

PRAYERS

  Royal Assent
  10.5 am
  Madam Speaker: I have to acquaint the House that the House has been to the House of Peers where a Commission under the Great Seal was read, authorising the Royal Assent to the following Acts:

  Public Order (Amendment) Act 1996

  London Local Authorities Act 1996

Prorogation

  Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech
  Madam Speaker: I have further to acquaint the House that the Lord High Chancellor, one of the Lord Commissioners, delivered Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, in pursuance of Her Majesty's Command. For greater accuracy, I have obtained a copy and also directed that the terms of the speech be printed in the Journal of the House. Copies are being made available in the Vote Office.
  The Gracious Speech was as follows:

  My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
  The Duke of Edinburgh and I were pleased to receive the State Visits of His Excellency the President of France in May and the President of the Republic of South Africa in July. We remember with great pleasure our State Visits to Poland and the Czech Republic in March.
  My Government were pleased to receive the President of the United States of America in London and Northern Ireland in November.
  My Government have continued to make provision for the defence of the United Kingdom and our allies and for the promotion of international peace and stability. The United Kingdom was among the leading participants in peace support operations.
  An Act has been passed to bring the law governing our Reserve Forces up to date, and permitting them to be used more flexibly.
  My Government have continued to support the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and assumed the Presidency of the Western European Union between January and June. They welcomed the decisions on European security and defence at the Berlin meeting of the North Atlantic Council.
  My Government played a full part in the successful conclusion of the Review Conference of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, and in strengthening restrictions in the United Nations Weaponry Convention by negotiating a Protocol on the use and transfer of landmines and laser blinding weapons.
  An Act was passed to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons convention in the United Kingdom, following which my Government ratified the Convention. They welcomed the opening for signature of a verifiable Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
  A leading role was played by my Government in securing the peace agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was signed in Paris. They held a conference in Lisbon which mapped out a strategy for implementing the agreement. In addition to contributing to the diplomatic effort to bring peace and stability to the region, they maintained over 9,000 Service men and women in the former Yugoslavia throughout the year as part of the NATO led military implementation force. My Government also contributed substantially to reconstruction projects to restore basic utilities to the people of Bosnia and rebuild their country. They helped to ensure the holding of elections supervised by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in furtherance of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
  In the European Union, my Government promoted policies aimed at increasing competitiveness and sustainable economic growth. They participated in

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  meetings of the Intergovernmental Conference and in preparations for Economic and Monetary Union. They worked to encourage sound financial management in the European Community. They continued to support strongly the enlargement of the European Union, and welcomed the association agreement with Slovenia. A British team of observers participated at the Russian Presidential elections.
  My Government worked for free trade through continuing negotiations within the World Trade Organisation, through the "New Transatlantic Agenda" agreed between the European Union and the United States, and through EU and bilateral contacts with Japan and other trading partners.
  Support continued for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia in their transition to democratic market economies, through the Know How Fund and with our European Union partners.
  My Government contributed fully to the first Summit of Asian and European nations, held in Bangkok, which marked an important development in relations between the two regions. In the interests of the people of Hong Kong, my Government continued to work towards a successful transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997.
  Reducing poverty in the poorest countries remained a priority. My Government's advocacy of multilateral debt relief for the poorest, most indebted nations contributed to new arrangements being adopted by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Paris Club of bilateral creditors.
  Vigorous action continued to be taken to protect the environment, and against terrorism, drugs, money laundering and organised crime, in the United Kingdom and overseas. Legislation was passed to enable to the Security Service to act in support of the police and other law enforcement agencies against serious crime. An Act has been passed, giving the police additional powers to combat terrorism.
  In Northern Ireland my Government have continued to work towards a political settlement, based on a policy of dialogue with all the parties in Northern Ireland which are committed to peaceful and democratic methods and in co-operation with the Irish Government. They have maintained progress towards the improvement of economic and social conditions.
  Members of the House of Commons
  I thank you for the provision you have made for the honour and dignity of the Crown and for the public service.
  My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
  My Government have pursued firm financial policies which have created the conditions for sustained economic growth, rising prosperity and falling unemployment while maintaining low inflation. Measures have been taken to ensure that the public sector borrowing requirement continues to fall.
  My Government showed their commitment to improving the nation's competitiveness through the White paper "Competitiveness: Creating the Enterprise Centre of Europe." The United Kingdom continues to be the most successful country in the European Union in attracting
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  inward investment. Legislation was passed to improve the system of arbitration for business and other users. Over 400 deregulatory proposals were brought forward.
  My Government continued to pursue a programme of privatisation including the successful sale of British Energy and Railtrack. They made progress with public sector reform and involving the private sector in the delivery of public services.
  An Act has been passed to provide a framework for the introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasting and to liberalise the regulation of cross-media ownership.
  My Government have intensified action to eradicate BSE in the United Kingdom; have introduced vigorous measures in response to the market crisis in beef; and have secured European Union arrangements to support these efforts and a framework for lifting the beef export ban.
  The criminal justice system has been strengthened through legislation to improve procedures in criminal cases, including those for prosecution and defence disclosure.
  An Act has been passed to streamline the handling of asylum applications, to strengthen enforcement of immigration control and to restrict access to social benefits by people from abroad.
  Legislation has been passed to make better provision for housing, taking forward my Government's strategy of continued growth in home ownership, provision of affordable social housing and a sustained revival in private renting; and to improve dispute resolution and payment procedures in the construction industry.
  An Act has been passed to expand provision of nursery education and to allow grant maintained schools to borrow to improve their buildings.
  Legislation was passed to enable local authorities to make payments to groups of people who want to purchase their own community care.
  An Act has been passed which reforms the ground for divorce, introduces mediation into family proceedings and improves the law on domestic violence. Further law reform measures have been enacted.
  In Scotland legislation was enacted to reform education and training and to improve the conservation and control of wild deer.
  Other important measures have been enacted.

  My Lords and Members of the House of Commons
  I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may' attend you.
  A Commission was also read for proroguing this present Parliament, and the Lord Chancellor said:
  "My Lords and Members of the House of Commons: by virtue of Her Majesty's Commission which has now been read, we do, in Her Majesty's name, and in obedience to Her Majesty's Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Wednesday the twenty-third day of this instant October, to be then here holden, and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Wednesday the twenty-third day of this instant October."
  End of the Fourth Session (opened on 15 November 1995) of the Fifty-First Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in the Forty-Fifth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.