House of Lords – Roger Harris

The government used the annual King’s Speech to outline a series of proposed engineering- and technology-related bills for the next parliamentary session.

Yesterday King Charles III delivered the ‘King’s Speech’ at the State Opening of Parliament, a ceremonial event marking the start of a new parliamentary year. Although delivered by the monarch in his role as the UK head of state, the speech itself is written by the government, laying out its policies and proposed laws for the year ahead.

King Charles set the tone for the government’s agenda at the start of his speech by warning that “an increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom, with the conflict in the Middle East only the most recent example”.

He said the government would “respond to this world” by making “decisions that protect the energy, defence and economic security of the United Kingdom for the long term”. 

It plans to do this through a series of policies and proposed bills, including: 

Closer ties with Europe 

The King’s Speech set out aims to “introduce legislation to take advantage of new trading opportunities, including a Bill to strengthen ties with the European Union”. This European Partnership Bill will contain powers to fast-track legislation to deliver a series of new agreements planned with the EU. 

Transport and infrastructure 

Before introducing a raft of transport and infrastructure-related bills, the King said: “The United Kingdom’s economic security depends upon world-class infrastructure.” 

The Civil Aviation Bill will support airport capacity through new powers over landing slots.

Highways (Financing) Bill will include measures to “enable roads to be built at pace including the Lower Thames Crossing”.

Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill will develop rail infrastructure in the north of England, particularly between Liverpool and Manchester.

Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill will work towards creating Great British Railways, a planned state-owned company that will operate most of the country’s rail infrastructure.

Commenting on these proposed bills, Kahu Te Kani, senior policy advisor at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (iMeche), said: “The Railways Bill is an opportunity to refocus the rail network around reliability, accessibility and passenger confidence. Reform must deliver a railway that is more efficient, better connected and easier to use for everyone.

“Inclusive design and whole-system engineering should be built into reform from the start, not treated as an afterthought. Accessibility is fundamental to improving performance, rebuilding trust and unlocking the full value of the rail network.”

Industry

Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill – “My Ministers will continue to take all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel,” King Charles said. This new legislation to bring steel production under formal government control aims to protect and rebuild the UK’s steelmaking capacity, including support for green steel production. 

Regulating for Growth Bill will allow pilot schemes to boost innovation in areas such as defence technology and AI-controlled ships.

Graham Hoare, CEO at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, said: “For manufacturers, success is driven by how quickly ideas can move from concept to commercial reality. By cutting unnecessary regulatory barriers, this Bill can help unlock investment, boost productivity and strengthen the UK’s position in high‑growth sectors.

“If delivered well, this legislation can ensure regulation becomes an enabler of growth – supporting advanced manufacturing and the wider economy to innovate with confidence.”

Competition Reform Bill will streamline and update the regulatory environment, and aim to speed up reviews by the competition regulator.

Edward Garston, partner at law firm Spencer West, said: “Even the government admits our regulatory environment has failed to keep pace with a world of accelerating change. If this Bill is successfully adopted, then it could enhance the UK’s standing on the world stage in attracting AI and other emerging technology start-ups.”

Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill will increase penalty interest for companies that fail to pay suppliers on time.

Rob Driscoll, director of legal & policy at Excellence in Electrotechnical and Engineering Services, said: “Late payment is not a minor inconvenience – it is a cashflow shock that hits SMEs first, putting jobs, apprenticeships and local supply chains at risk.

“If parliament delivers these changes, it will be one of the most significant improvements to payment protections in a generation, unlocking investment and growth.”

Digital ID systems 

Digital Access to Services Bill – The King said that government will “proceed with the introduction of digital ID that will modernise how citizens interact with public services”. Originally planned as a compulsory digital ID scheme, in January 2026 the government backtracked, announcing digital IDs will no longer be mandatory for proving the right to work. 

Strengthening cyber security

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will aim improve the country’s defences against cyber-security threats.

Spencer Starkey, executive vice-president EMEA at SonicWall, said: “The government’s £90m investment, the Cyber Resilience Pledge and the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill continuing through parliament are all meaningful signals after a decade of chronic underinvestment. But government action alone won’t be enough – it sets the floor, not the ceiling. Organisations themselves need to step up their own defences and treat cyber resilience as a core operational priority.

“Without a decisive shift towards AI-native security strategies across both the public and private sectors, we risk a scenario where public services and critical infrastructure simply cannot keep up with the velocity of what’s coming. And what’s coming isn’t slowing down.”

James Clark, partner at law firm Spencer West LLP, said: “The King’s Speech confirms the government’s intention to finish work on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, the long-awaited strengthening of the UK’s cyber-security laws, and extending responsibility to IT companies in the supply chain as well as to key infrastructure providers such as data centres.”

Energy

“My ministers believe that energy independence must be a long-term goal of national security and that the nation’s energy security requires long-term investment and reform, as demonstrated by recent events in the Middle East,” the King said, before introducing a number of bills related to renewable energy and nuclear. 

The Energy Independence Bill will aim to scale up deployment of homegrown renewable energy technologies, including accelerating grid efficiency upgrades, while the Nuclear Regulation Bill will bring about a “new era of British nuclear energy generation”.

James Partington, director of engineering policy and impact at the iMeche, said: “Reforms to the nuclear sector, alongside rapid renewable energy deployment and planning reforms, have the potential to strengthen UK energy resilience and accelerate the delivery of reliable low-carbon power. 

“The focus must now shift firmly to delivery. Turning legislation into real infrastructure will require sustained investment in engineering skills and workforce capacity. Getting this right is critical to delivering an energy system that is secure, affordable and built for the future.”

Sachin Vibhute, technical consultant at LG, said: “The introduction of the Energy Independence Bill signals real intent to accelerate the transition to low-carbon homes and greater energy independence. 

“However, the sector remains hindered by an acute shortage of skilled workers. The UK urgently needs more specialised training and upskilling to meet the rising demand for green technologies like heat pumps and solar installations.”