The Queen outlined a raft of new Bills which the Government is introducing to strengthen the economy and reduce Britains deficit.
The Immigration Bill is intended to reform immigration law so that Britain “attracts people who will contribute and deter those who will not”.
The Bill will bring landlords into the fight against illegal immigration by obliging them to check the immigration status of their tenants. Employers will also need to make extensive checks to ensure they aren’t employing illegal labour. Failure to do so could leave them open to substantial fines.
The Deregulation Bill will continue the Government’s campaign to remove unnecessary red tape. The main proposals include exempting the self-employed from health and safety law if their activities pose no potential r
isk to others. It will also remove the power of employment tribunals to make wider recommendations in successful discrimination cases under the Equality Act 2010.
The Intellectual Property Bill is designed to simplify and strengthen design protection, and make it more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises. Its main elements include implementing the EU’s Unified Patent Court, part of which will be based in London.
This will create a single patent system in almost all EU countries making it possible for British businesses to protect their inventions across much of Europe with a single application.
We shall keep clients informed of developments as the Bills progress through Parliament.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article.
