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CONFIDENTIAL

D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y O F H E R B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T

oo C(80) 26

C O P Y NO

9 May 1980 CABINET

L E G I S L A T I V E P R O G R A M M E 1980-81 Memorandum by the S e c r e t a r y of State for the Home Department

1. T h e Queen's Speeches and F u t u r e L e g i s l a t i o n Committee have considered the proposals for B i l l s which M i n i s t e r s have put forward for next Sess5.on's legislative programme. T h i s m e m o r a n d u m seeks Cabinet agreement to the Committee's recommend".tions. 2. My colleagues w i l l be well aware of the difficulties we have been experiencing with this Session's p r o g r a m m e . We want to avoid s i m i l a r problems next Session. M o r e generally, we need to lighten the load of legislation on P a r l i a m e n t which m a n y of our supporters believe to be excessive. We need, therefore, to p l a n a p r o g r a m m e of about 25 m a i n B i l l s - excluding finance, consolidation and Scottish G r a n d Committee B i l l s , and B i l l s that a r e l i k e l y to be suitable f o r Second Reading Committee. We have the prospect of two m o r e f u l l Sessions during the course of this Parliament which should enable a place to be found f o r those B i l l s which have been put f o r w a r d this t i m e but which cannot be accommodated i n next Session's programme. \, 3. T h e Committee have sought to construct a balanced programme, reflecting the Government's m a i n objectives. We have given p r i o r i t y to those B i l l s which will help to secure reductions i n public expenditure and manpower, o r which otherwise a s s i s t our economic p o l i c i e s . T h i s will c l e a r l y f o r m a m a j o r theme of next Session's Queen's Speech. A t the same time we have t r i e d to find r o o m f o r some B i l l s which w i l l f o r w a r d our s o c i a l policies. We have taken into account the proposed timetables for B i l l s , giving weight to those which seem l i k e l y to be ready f o r early introduction. We have attempted to balance the m o r e c o n t r o v e r s i a l m e a s u r e s with others which might expect a l e s s troubled passage, p a r t i c u l a r l y i f they seemed appropriate for introduction f i r s t i n the House of L o r d s . ;

4. We r e c o m m e n d the i n c l u s i o n i n the l e g i s l a t i v e p r o g r a m m e for next Session of the B i l l s l i s t e d i n Annex A . T h e y include 10 " E s s e n t i a l " B i l l s which must be enacted during the Session, and 16 " P r o g r a m m e " B i l l s , including the Education (Scotland) B i l l . We also r e c o m m e n d a further 1

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five B i l l s f o r i n c l u s i o n i n next Session's l e g i s l a t i v e p r o g r a m m e , i n the expectation that they w i l l be suitable f o r Second Reading C o m m i t t e e p r o c e d u r e i n the House of C o m m o n s . 5. In addition, we m u s t p r o v i d e f o r a number o f "Contingent" B i l l s , some of which m a y w e l l become E s s e n t i a l . T h e s e a r e l i s t e d i n A n n e x B. My colleagues w i l l note p a r t i c u l a r l y that l e g i s l a t i o n f o r new constitutional arrangements i n N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d i s l i k e l y to be needed. T h i s would take up a substantial amount of t i m e on the f l o o r of the House of C o m m o n s . It m a y a l s o be n e c e s s a r y to i n t r o d u c e a C r i m i n a l J u s t i c e B i l l to r e l i e v e conditions of o v e r c r o w d i n g i n the p r i s o n s and m a k e changes i n the l a w r e l a t i n g to young o f f e n d e r s . 6. T h e Scottish B i l l s put f o r w a r d f o r next S e s s i o n , other than the Education B i l l , should be suitable f o r S c o t t i s h G r a n d C o m m i t t e e i n the House of Commons. T h e y a r e l i s t e d i n A n n e x C. We r e c o m m e n d that the S e c r e t a r y of State f o r Scotland, i n consultation with the L o r d P r e s i d e n t of the C o u n c i l a n d the L o r d Advocate, should d e c i d e the p r o g r a m m e of B i l l s to be s e c u r e d through that p r o c e d u r e . 7. T h e r e a r e f i v e B i l l s which we have not i n c l u d e d i n the p r o g r a m m e , but which could be i n t r o d u c e d i f L e g i s l a t i o n C o m m i t t e e were s a t i s f i e d at the time that they stood a good chance o f being acceptable f o r Second R e a d i n g Committee p r o c e d u r e i n the House of C o m m o n s , T h e s e a r e at A n n e x D. 8. I a m c i r c u l a t i n g s e p a r a t e l y a p a p e r (C(80) 27) giving details of the B i l l s shown i n the A n n e x e s . 9. I m u s t r e m i n d colleagues who have B i l l s i n the p r o g r a m m e that i t i s essential f o r p o l i c y c l e a r a n c e to be sought a n d d r a f t i n g a u t h o r i t y obtained at the v e r y e a r l i e s t opportunity. P a r l i a m e n t a r y C o u n s e l m u s t be given a reasonable t i m e i n which to d r a f t B i l l s . T h i s d i d not always happen i n the p r e s e n t S e s s i o n . If, f o r any r e a s o n , the t i m e t a b l e s which colleagues p r o p o s e d for t h e i r B i l l s cannot be met, they should i n f o r m the C h a n c e l l o r o f the Duchy of L a n c a s t e r at once, so that he c a n c o n s i d e r the effect on the programme. It i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t a n t that B i l l s that have been p r o m i s e d for the beginning of the S e s s i o n should be r e a d y i n good t i m e ; and that a s many of these a s p o s s i b l e a r e started i n the House of L o r d s , so helping to even out t h e i r burden o v e r the S e s s i o n . 10.

I invite m y colleagues to: a. a g r e e the l i s t of E s s e n t i a l and P r o g r a m m e B i l l s set out i n Annex A; b. note the Contingent B i l l s i n A n n e x B, and a g r e e that they should be brought f o r w a r d i f n e c e s s a r y ;

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c. agree that the Scottish B i l l s i n Annex C end the further Second Keauing Committee B i l l s i n Annex D should be brought forward as appropz'iate; d. ensure that early action i s taken to secure p o l i c y approval and drafting authority f o r the E s s e n t i a l and P r o g r a m m e B i l l s , i n o r d e r to facilitate the efficient management of Government business i n P a r l i a m e n t next Session.

W W

Home Office 9 May 1980

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CONFIDENTIAL ANNLX L e g i s l a t i v e Programme 1980/81 Essential Armed Forces Energy Conservation W i l d l i f e and Countryside Anguilla Health and Social Services (Miscellaneous Provisions) Industry (No 2) Iron and Steel Contempt of Court Companies Insurance Companies

Programme Forestry (Sale of Land) Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) House of Commons Members' Fund and Parliamentary Pensions (Transfers) Education (Special Educational Needs) Employment and Training Act 1973 (Amendment) Petroleum and Continental Shelf Gas Rental Levy Radio-Chemical Centre v Local Government and Planning Social Security [European Assembly E l e c t i o n s (Amendment) Nationality Te1e communic a t i ons Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) (Amendment) Education (Scotland) Transport J u r i s d i c t i o n and Foreign Judgments ^Supreme Court

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CONFIDENTIAL programme (Continued) *Tovm and Country Planning (Minerals) I ^International Organisations (Amendment) •Parliamentary Commissioner

(Consular Complaints)

• B i l l s expected to be suitable f o r Second Reading Committee i n the House of Commons.

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CONFIDENTIAL ANNEX B

Contingent B i l l s Law of the Sea Convention Comprehensive Test Ban B r i t i s h North America Acts 1867-1964 (Amendment) Belize Independence • C r i m i n a l Justice Deep Seabed Mining Northern Ireland Common Fund

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ANNEX c

Scottish Grand Committee B i l l s Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) • C i v i c Government (Scotland) Matrimonial Homes (Rights of Occupancy) (Scotland) •Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Social Work Amendment (Scotland) • P o l i c e (Scotland) Salmon and Freshwater F i s h e r i e s (Scotland) Roads (Scotland) National Library of Scotland (Amendment) (Scotland)

CONFIDENTIAL ANNEX D

A d d i t i o n a l B i l l s vhich may be acceptable f o r Second Reading Committee

Corn Returns (Amendment) I Superannuation

(Miscellaneous P r o v i s i o n s )

I Disposal of Former Russian Assets I Diplomatic P r i v i l e g e s ( S p e c i a l Missions) I Merchant Shipping

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