Bill tracker

The government's legislative programme for the 2007-08 parliamentary session was announced in the Queen's speech.

Details of both government and private member's bills will be added to this page as they are introduced to Parliament.

What's new 

Banking Reform Bill introduced into the Commons
Planning Bill - Lords committee (day 1 & day 2)

Banking Reform Bill
Establishes for the first time a permanent statutory regime for dealing with failing banks, amends related current legislation and makes new provisions for the governance of the Bank of England.

Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008
Makes provision to enable the Treasury in certain circumstances to make an order relating to the transfer of securities issued by, or of property, rights or liabilities belonging to, an authorised deposit-taker; to make further provision in relation to building societies.

Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
Intends to place victims at the centre of the criminal justice system and to support the police and other criminal justice officials. It will confer new powers on the police and probation services to protect the public from anti-social behaviour and from violent offenders.

The provisions for dealing with anti social behaviour may have an impact on the lending industry, and we are therefore monitoring the bill's progress.

Finance Bill (Volume 1 and Volume 2)
Will implement the measures announced by the chancellor at the 2008 budget.

Housing and Regeneration Act 2008
Will establish a new Homes and Communities agency to maximise the use of spare public sector and brownfield land. It will liberalise powers to create 'eco towns' and will support the regeneration and delivery of new social and affordable housing, both social and private. The bill will also reform social housing regulation in an effort to provide tenants with a better service.

Overall, we believe the bill represents a sensible approach to regulation that meets many of the concerns of secured lenders to the social housing sector. However, a  few outstanding issues remain which are highlight in our briefing note, along with suggestions where appropriate as to how they might be resolved by amendment.

More information on the core proposals of the bill and the amendments made so far as a result of CML lobbying can be found on our policy page.

Planning Bill
Will create an Independent Infrastructure Planning Commission to oversee major projects and speed up the planning process. More decisions will be devolved to local authorities, and there will be a more efficient appeals process. It also intends to establish a single consents regime for nationally significant infrastructure and a streamlined process for considering planning applications.

Three aspects of the bill which may be of interest are:

• will the introduction of a Community infrastructure levy, that will supersede section 106 agreements, have an impact on the delivery of affordable housing and the delivery of other community infrastructure requirements including flood defences.
• how will the provision allowing residents to build micro-renewable generation units on their property affect the insurability and mortgagability of the property; and
• whether in passing the application of the major infrastructure projects provision to fast track decisions will include such things as 'new towns' or flood defences.

Private member's bills

In 2008 private members' bills will take priority over government business on 25 January; 1, 22 and 29 February; 7 and 14 March; 25 April; 9 and 16 May; 6, 13 and 20 June; and 17 October.

Leasehold Reform Bill
Will amend the law relating to long leaseholders; to confer further powers on leaseholders; to make provision in relation to leaseholders in local council owned property and property owned by other social landlords; to confer powers on landlords to create sinking funds; to make requirements of landlords relating to the management of property.

We will monitor the bill's progress, but at position 14 in the private member's ballot is highly unlikely to reach the statute book.

Personal Debt (Advice and Regulation) Bill
Requires schools to provide education on personal money management; makes provision about advice centres on personal finance; and imposes conditions on the activities of money-lending companies. 

The Bill has not been printed and the order for its second reading has now lapsed.