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Queen's Speech: Immigrants face tougher rules Queen's Speech: Immigrants face tougher rules
(about 1 hour later)
A fresh attempt to curb immigration is the centre piece of the government's planned new laws, set out by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament.A fresh attempt to curb immigration is the centre piece of the government's planned new laws, set out by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament.
Access to the NHS will be tightened, landlords forced to check immigration status and illegal migrants prevented from obtaining driving licences. Short-term migrants will pay for NHS care, landlords will be forced to check immigration status and illegal migrants will not get driving licences.
But alcohol pricing and monitoring web use were not among the 15 bills. Laws on cheap alcohol and monitoring web use were not among the 15 bills.
David Cameron said the package would boost recovery, but Ed Miliband said the coalition had "run out of ideas".David Cameron said the package would boost recovery, but Ed Miliband said the coalition had "run out of ideas".
The Labour leader branded the statement a "no answers Queen's Speech" from a government that was "out of touch, out of ideas, standing up for the wrong people and unable to bring the change the country needs". The Queen set out what the government plans to do over the next year amid the traditional pomp and ceremony of the state opening.
Prime Minister David Cameron countered that the legislative programme showed the government was "rising to the challenge" of the "global race" which could only be won by backing families who "want to work hard and get on". The Prince of Wales, joined by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, attended the ceremony for the first time since 1996.
Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband both used the occasion to pay tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson, who has announced his retirement as the manager of Manchester United after 26 years. In a speech written for her by ministers, the Queen said her government's "first priority" remained cutting the deficit and strengthening Britain's economy.
Earlier, the Queen set out the government's legislative programme for the year ahead in a speech written for her by ministers. But the government says it is also determined to do more to tackle illegal immigration and demonstrate that it is backing families who "want to work hard and get on".
She said her government's "first priority" remained strengthening Britain's economy, and said it would also "work to promote a fairer society that rewards people who work hard".
The Queen said an immigration bill would aim to "ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute, and deter those who will not".The Queen said an immigration bill would aim to "ensure that this country attracts people who will contribute, and deter those who will not".
Illegal labourIllegal labour
If passed, the bill would also ensure illegal immigrants cannot get driving licences, and change the rules so private landlords have to check their tenants' immigration status. If passed, the bill would ensure illegal immigrants cannot get driving licences, and change the rules so private landlords have to check their tenants' immigration status.
It would also allow foreign criminals to be deported more easily, as well as people who are in the UK illegally, after the government's repeated setbacks in its efforts to deport the radical cleric Abu Qatada.It would also allow foreign criminals to be deported more easily, as well as people who are in the UK illegally, after the government's repeated setbacks in its efforts to deport the radical cleric Abu Qatada.
Businesses caught employing illegal foreign labour would face bigger fines.Businesses caught employing illegal foreign labour would face bigger fines.
Migrants' access to the NHS would be restricted and temporary visitors would have to "make a contribution" to the cost of their care. Migrants' access to the NHS would be restricted and temporary visitors would have to "make a contribution" to the cost of their care, either with their own money or through their government.
Asked whether this would mean GPs having to check patients' passports before agreeing to treat them, Business Secretary Vince Cable said "checks of various kinds" were one option being considered but the details had yet to be finalised. Asked on BBC Radio 4's The World at One whether this would mean GPs having to check patients' passports before agreeing to treat them, Business Secretary Vince Cable said "checks of various kinds" were one option being considered but the details had yet to be finalised.
"That is not the role of doctors," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. "Doctors are there to provide medical care but there is a question of whether people who administer GP surgeries and hospitals should be in the business of checking.
"Naturally there is a fair amount of that which goes on already."
He added: "The big picture here is that there is public concern about abuse of the system and this has got to go alongside making the positive case for immigration where it is good for the country."
The planned immigration crackdown follows a surge in support for UKIP, which campaigns for a reduction in net migration, but ministers insist the measures had been decided before last week's local election results.The planned immigration crackdown follows a surge in support for UKIP, which campaigns for a reduction in net migration, but ministers insist the measures had been decided before last week's local election results.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the immigration measures were the "centre piece" of his government's plans for the year ahead, as they "go right across government".
He told MPs: "Put simply, our immigration bill will back aspiration and end the legacy of the last government, where people could come here and expect something for nothing."
Other measures announced in the Queen's Speech include:Other measures announced in the Queen's Speech include:
Ofsted-style ratings for hospitals and care homes will be introduced and a new chief inspector of hospitals given more powers, in response to the Mid-Staffordshire health scandal.Ofsted-style ratings for hospitals and care homes will be introduced and a new chief inspector of hospitals given more powers, in response to the Mid-Staffordshire health scandal.
Another bill would increase supervision and drug testing of offenders after release from jails in England and Wales and open up the Probation Service to private competition in an effort to cut reoffending rates.Another bill would increase supervision and drug testing of offenders after release from jails in England and Wales and open up the Probation Service to private competition in an effort to cut reoffending rates.
'Snooper's charter''Snooper's charter'
There was also no place in the Queen's Speech for proposals to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes or legislation on minimum alcohol pricing, although Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has insisted both plans are still under consideration. There was no place in the Queen's Speech for proposals to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes or legislation on minimum alcohol pricing, although Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has insisted both plans are still under consideration.
Demands by some Conservative MPs for legislation paving the way for a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU were ignored, as were calls from charities to enshrine in law David Cameron's pledge to spend 0.7% of national income on foreign aid.Demands by some Conservative MPs for legislation paving the way for a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU were ignored, as were calls from charities to enshrine in law David Cameron's pledge to spend 0.7% of national income on foreign aid.
The Queen's Speech had also been due to include a communications data bill, dubbed a "snooper's charter" by opponents, which would have allowed the monitoring of UK citizens' online and mobile communications.The Queen's Speech had also been due to include a communications data bill, dubbed a "snooper's charter" by opponents, which would have allowed the monitoring of UK citizens' online and mobile communications.
But the plans were blocked by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on civil liberties grounds, despite warnings the legislation was needed to help detect terror plots.But the plans were blocked by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on civil liberties grounds, despite warnings the legislation was needed to help detect terror plots.
The government is now considering forcing internet service providers and mobile phone companies to store more data about the devices used for emails, Skype calls and other messages to help police identify the sender, if necessary.The government is now considering forcing internet service providers and mobile phone companies to store more data about the devices used for emails, Skype calls and other messages to help police identify the sender, if necessary.
The Home Office had previously rejected this option, which may not need new legislation to implement, on technical and cost grounds.The Home Office had previously rejected this option, which may not need new legislation to implement, on technical and cost grounds.
Labour's Chris Bryant dismissed the measures in the Queen's Speech as more government "big talk" on immigration. Immigration
The coalition should instead "dramatically increase the fines for breaching the national minimum wage" and give the power of arrest to immigration officers, added the shadow immigration minister. Giving his response to the government's package, Labour leader Ed Miliband said it would do nothing to boost growth, cut youth unemployment or tackle rising living costs.
Business lobby group the CBI welcomed progress on High Speed 2 but called for more investment in the existing transport network - and suggested many of the other bills in the Queen's Speech were unnecessary. "You are not dealing with the problems of the country," he told the prime minister.
"With only two years to go until the next election, business needs delivery on the ground not time-consuming new bills that will have little or no impact before 2015," said CBI director general John Cridland. "No wonder this Queen's Speech has no answers. Three wasted years, today another wasted chance. A no-answers Queen's Speech from a tired and failing government.
The trade unions said the government should have used the Queen's Speech to ditch its "failed austerity experiment" and warned that raising the pension age risked creating more "pensioner poverty". "Out of touch, out of ideas, standing up for the wrong people and unable to bring the change the country needs."
"Instead of making people work for longer the government should be focusing on creating more jobs," said TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady. Mr Miliband accused Mr Cameron of caving in to vested interests and his own backbenchers on plain cigarette packaging, a communications bill on media monopolies and a statutory register of lobbyists. He said Labour would be willing to back these measures if the PM wanted to get them through Parliament.
The Prince of Wales, joined by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, attended the state opening of Parliament for the first time since 1996. On immigration, he said Labour would "look at" the government's proposals but would also push for a crackdown on employers who flout the minimum wage and use "cheap" foreign labour - legal and illegal - to undercut wages.
The speech took place the day after it was announced Prince Charles would represent the monarch at the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Sri Lanka in November. Business lobby group the CBI welcomed progress on High Speed 2 but called for more investment in the existing transport network, adding that they wanted to see "delivery on the ground not time-consuming new bills that will have little or no impact before 2015".
The TUC said the government should have used the Queen's Speech to ditch its "failed austerity experiment" and "instead of making people work for longer the government should be focusing on creating more jobs".