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S 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 BRITANNIC M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T

C(80) 55

C O P Y NO

81

13 October 1980 CABINET

THE

QUEEN'S SPEECHES ON T H E PROROGATION AND OPENING O F P A R L I A M E N T

Note by the Secretary of State for the Home Department

1. I attach for the Cabinet's consideration drafts of The Queen's Speeches | on the prorogation of the current Session of Parliament and the opening of I the new Session, which have been prepared by The Queen's Speeches and Future Legislation Committee on the basis of suggestions by colleagues. I 2. The draft prorogation speech i s intended to summarise Government action during the Session. It i s long, but the Committee considered that this [ was a proper reflection of the length of the Session and the developments during it. 3. In preparing the draft opening speech, we have given p r i o r i t y to economic and industrial matters. We have t r i e d to keep it short. We are grateful to those colleagues who agreed to the modification of certain passages |to help us to achieve this. We are grateful also to the Paymaster General for his invaluable help i n improving the drafting. 4. Some of the references to the Royal V i s i t s i n the draft opening speech are i n square brackets. This is because they have yet to be confirmed. There may also be other references, such as those to Northern Ireland affairs, which will require revision nearer the time of presentation. 5. Subject to such revision, I invite the Cabinet to approve the attached draft prorogation and opening speeches.

WW

I

Home Office L3 October 1980

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L

CONFIDENTIAL QUEEN'S SPEECH ON THE PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT

NOVEMBER 1980 LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, ly husband and I were p l e a s e d t o r e c e i v e the S t a t e V i s i t s o f the P r e s i d e n t )f Kenya i n June 1979 and o f the P r e s i d e n t o f the R e p u b l i c o f I n d o n e s i a and ladame T i e n Soeharto i n November,

Ife look back w i t h much p l e a s u r e on the v i s i t s we have made. |)enmark i n May August.

We

visited

19795 and Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia i n J u l y and

As Head o f the Commonwealth, I was p r e s e n t i n Lusaka on the o c c a s i o n

I f the meeting o f the Commonwealth Heads o f Government.

I n May t h i s y e a r

•e v i s i t e d S w i t z e r l a n d and we have r e c e n t l y r e t u r n e d from v i s i t s the Holy See, T u n i s i a , A l g e r i a and Morocco.

to I t a l y ,

We were g r e a t l y saddened by the

Beath i n J u l y t h i s y e a r o f P r e s i d e n t Khama o f Botswana.

«y Government welcomed mnuatu,

the independence o f K i r i b a t i ,

S t . V i n c e n t , Zimbabwe and

and t h e i r d e c i s i o n t o j o i n the Commonwealth.

H a v i n g brought Southern

Riodesia t o independence i n c o n d i t i o n s o f the w i d e s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l r

m

recognition,

f

Government have committed s u b s t a n t i a l a i d to Zimbabwe s r e c o n s t r u c t i o n and

Rvelopment.

Tm Government a t t a c h the h i g h e s t importance t o e n s u r i n g the s e c u r i t y o f the w t i o n and the maintenance o f peace.

They have p l a y e d a l e a d i n g r o l e

within

He North A t l a n t i c A l l i a n c e t o ensure t h a t the defence c a p a b i l i t y o f the West is such as to d e t e r any would-be a g g r e s s o r .

B r i t i s h defences have been

strengthened and a c t i o n has been taken t o improve the morale o f the armed Hrces.

My Government have taken s t e p s to m a i n t a i n the e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f

H i t a i n ' s n u c l e a r d e t e r r e n t i n t o the 1990s and beyond.

Realistic,

balanced

and v e r i f i a b l e arms c o n t r o l measures have been sought i n the Committee on ^karmament and i n o t h e r n e g o t i a t i o n s .

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

f

a conjunction with the United Kingdom s partners and a l l i e s , my Government ave sought to b r i n g home to the S o v i e t Union the damage which i t s actions Etve done to East-West r e l a t i o n s .

My Government have played an a c t i v e p a r t

i the i n t e r n a t i o n a l e f f o r t to enable Afghanistan

to resume i t s t r a d i t i o n a l

e u t r a l i t y and non-alignment.

My Government have sought to p l a y a c o n s t r u c t i v e p a r t i n the work o f the European Community and i n European p o l i t i c a l

co-operation.

Arrangements have

Been agreed to reduce s u b s t a n t i a l l y the United Kingdom's n e t c o n t r i b u t i o n to Hie community budget and our partners

i n Europe are committed to a thorough

Review of the development of community p o l i c i e s and the operation o f the budget.

My M i n i s t e r s have secured l e v e l terms o f competition

f o r the

A g r i c u l t u r a l industry under the common a g r i c u l t u r a l p o l i c y and have been Negotiating a r e v i s i o n of the common f i s h e r i e s p o l i c y which takes account of Hie need to conserve f i s h stocks and to p r o t e c t the i n t e r e s t s o f our fishermen.

My Government have also worked f o r a negotiated peace i n the A r a b / I s r a e l i H m f l i c t acceptable

to a l l p a r t i e s .

Together with the other members of the

European Community, they stated i n Venice on 13 June t h i s year the p r i n c i p l e s on which they believed such a settlement

should be based.

They are f o l l o w i n g

• L o s e l y the r e s u l t i n g d i s c u s s i o n s between the P r e s i d e n t of the Council o f M i n i s t e r s and the p a r t i e s concerned.

t

e United Kingdom a l s o took an a c t i v e p a r t i n the d i s c u s s i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n a l

onomic and p o l i t i c a l questions

a t the summit meeting of the leaders of the

even major i n d u s t r i a l i s e d countries* h e l d i n Venice i n June t h i s year.

C O N F I D E N T I A L

I

tfy Government have continued

to co-operate i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l e f f o r t s to

solve the s e r i o u s economic d i f f i c u l t i e s o f many developing

c o u n t r i e s . They

have been a c t i v e a l s o i n Commonwealth a f f a i r s and i n the work o f the United Nations and i t s s p e c i a l i s e d agencies.

1

B r i t a i n s contacts

with

countries i n L a t i n America and elsewhere have been strengthened.

[

y Government have supported the e f f o r t s o f the countries o f the A s s o c i a t i o n f South E a s t Asian Nations to meet the t h r e a t posed by Vietnam's armed

ntervention i n Cambodia, and have taken a l e a d i n g p a r t i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l loves to r e l i e v e famine and t o care f o r refugees

i n South E a s t A s i a ,

EMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

| thank you f o r the p r o v i s i o n which you have made f o r the honour and |Lgnity o f the Crown and f o r the p u b l i c s e r v i c e s .

LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

J

Government have given p r i o r i t y to b r i n g i n g down the r a t e of i n f l a t i o n

rough the p u r s u i t o f f i r m monetary and f i s c a l p o l i c i e s .

A medium-term

nancial strategy has been published, e n t a i l i n g a progressive d e c l i n e i n

Me growth o f the money supply and f i s c a l p o l i c i e s c o n s i s t e n t with

this.

Progress has been made towards securing a s u b s t a n t i a l reduction i n the ?den of o f f i c i a l external debt during the l i f e t i m e o f t h i s

Parliament.

Income tax has been c u t s i g n i f i c a n t l y , with the o b j e c t o f r e s t o r i n g sentives and c r e a t i n g conditions i n which commerce and industry can ^urish.

Plans f o r p u b l i c expenditure

have been published, showing

IB>gressive reductions i n t o t a l but with increases on defence, law and ler and

h e a l t h and s o c i a l s e c u r i t y . CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL hy Government have introduced measures to free business and commerce 'rom unnecessary controls and to a s s i s t exporters. ividends has been a b o l i s h e d .

Statutory c o n t r o l of

L e g i s l a t i o n has been passed-to strengthen

le control of anti—competitive p r a c t i c e s i n industry and commerce and to |bolish the P r i c e Commission.

Steps have been taken to

stimulate

uprovements i n the marketing and export of a g r i c u l t u r a l and food products.

Act has been passed to improve i n d u s t r i a l r e l a t i o n s and to b r i n g about f a i r balance between the r i g h t s of employers, trade unions and i n d i v i d u a l Aployees.

Measures have been introduced to stimulate enterprise and competition,

to

encourage the growth of new businesses and to reduce n a t i o n a l i s e d and state ownership.

Steps have been taken to increase the e f f i c i e n c y and reduce the

size of the C i v i l S e r v i c e .

S u b s t a n t i a l p r i v a t e sector support has been

obtained f o r the advanced f a c t o r y programme i n the a s s i s t e d areas.

My

Government have announced t h e i r i n t e n t i o n to set up urban development corporations i n the London and Merseyside docklands and enterprise zones i n seven l o c a t i o n s , and the necessary s t a t u t o r y a u t h o r i t y has been secured.

Measures to

strengthen industry i n the regions have been concentrated i n the areas of greatest need.

i Legislation has been passed to allow p r i v a t e shareholders to take c o n t r o l of ithe businesses of B r i t i s h Aerospace, B r i t i s h . Airways and the National F r e i g h t Coiboration, and to increase competition i n the bus i n d u s t r y .

An A c t has been

(passed to modify the functions of the National E n t e r p r i s e Board and the

1

,

Scottish and Welsh Development Agencies.

L e g i s l a t i v e p r o v i s i o n has been

made to amend the - financing of the N a t i o n a l Coal Board and the payment of . certain grants to a s s i s t the Board i n a t t a i n i n g i t s

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financial

objectives.

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Government have implemented i n f u l l the recommendations on p o l i c e pay

I

the Committee of Inquiry on the P o l i c e and have heen pleased to see

substantial increase i n the strength of the p o l i c e s e r v i c e .

An Act has

en passed to e s t a b l i s h a P o l i c e N e g o t i a t i n g Board f o r the United Kingdom,

e report of the Committee of Inquiry i n t o the United Kingdom p r i s o n s e r v i c e s s received and my Government have taken a c t i o n on i t s main recommendations.

In Northern Ireland, my Government have made continuing e f f o r t s to combat

terrorism

and promote s e c u r i t y w i t h i n the normal framework of the r u l e of

A conference

of l o c a l p o l i t i c a l leaders has been h e l d a n d ,

publication of some Proposals

f o l l o w i n g the

f o r Further Discussion, a programme of extensive

Consultations has been undertaken, i n pursuance of my M i n i s t e r s K

law,

1

returning power to l o c a l l y - e l e c t e d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s on a b a s i s

objective acceptable

to both parts of the community.

l e g i s l a t i o n has been passed to give p u b l i c sector tenants i n England and fales and i n Scotland an extensive r i g h t to buy

t h e i r homes and a Tenants

1

• l a r t e r of Rights, and to provide measures to encourage short-term p r i v a t e Settings*

.Act was

passed to provide, among other matters,

f o r the r e l a x a t i o n of

pntrols over l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s i n England and Wales, i n c l u d i n g a new •ore f l e x i b l e system f o r c o n t r o l l i n g t h e i r c a p i t a l expenditure,

and

for a fairer

System f o r the d i s t r i b u t i o n of rate support grant to l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s , f o r he r e g u l a t i o n of l o c a l a u t h o r i t y d i r e c t labour departments, and f o r the epeal of the Community Land Act,

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jegislation has been passed to remove the compulsion England and Wales to reorganise secondary

on l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s

schools on comprehensive

Lnes; to give parents the r i g h t to express a preference f o r a school and take p a r t with teachers i n school government; and to provide f o r a cheme to a s s i s t c h i l d r e n of f a m i l i e s of l i m i t e d means to attend

independent

?hools. .

>ecial employment and t r a i n i n g measures have been taken to a s s i s t young jople and others i n a time of h i g h unemployment.

P r o v i s i o n has been made

>r increases i n s o c i a l s e c u r i t y b e n e f i t s and c o n t r i b u t i o n s . the supplementary

b e n e f i t scheme has been i n i t i a t e d .

A major reform

L e g i s l a t i o n has

also been enacted to l i m i t the i n c r e a s i n g expenditure on s o c i a l s e c u r i t y . My Government have published proposals f o r making employers r e s p o n s i b l e f o r s i c k 1

pay during the e a r l y weeks of an employee s i l l n e s s .

An Act has been passed to a s s i s t the development of p r i v a t e medical care Bid improvements i n h e a l t h s e r v i c e s .

Steps have been taken to s i m p l i f y the

jjtructure and management of the N a t i o n a l Health S e r v i c e .

Act has been passed to e s t a b l i s h the N a t i o n a l Heritage Memorial Fund. J g i s l a t i o n to provide f o r a p u b l i c l e n d i n g r i g h t f o r authors has been brought to force.

My Government have taken e f f e c t i v e steps a c t i v e l y to encourage

Jisiness sponsorship of the a r t s .

An Act has been passed to provide f o r the extension of the l i f e of the •idependent Broadcasting A u t h o r i t y f o r a f u r t h e r f i f t e e n years; f o r the establishment by the A u t h o r i t y of a f o u r t h t e l e v i s i o n channel i n England, l o t l a n d and Northern I r e l a n d , subject to s t r i c t safeguards, and i n Wales of a •elsh Fourth Channel A u t h o r i t y with s p e c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r broadcasting •levision programmes i n Welsh; and f o r the establishment of a Broadcasting ^ m p l a i n t s Commission* CONFIDENTIAL 6

CONFIDENTIAL ^My Government have s u b s t a n t i a l l y increased d i r e c t expenditure on support for the Welsh language.

L e g i s l a t i o n has also been passed to enable grants

to be paid towards Welsh language

teaching.

Further p r o v i s i o n has been made i n S c o t t i s h l e g i s l a t i o n to continue financial'support f o r a i r services i n the highlands and i s l a n d s and to improve criminal j u s t i c e and the treatment o f offenders i n Scotland.

|MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

I pray that the b l e s s i n g o f Almighty God may attend you.

;9 October

1980

7

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL THE QUEEN'S SPEECH ON THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT NOVEMBER 1980

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

I look forward with great pleasure to receiving His Majesty the King of Nepal on a State V i s i t l a t e r t h i s month, and to v i s i t i n g Belgium, the Commission of the European Communities, and the headquarters of the North A t l a n t i c Treaty Organisation.

I look forward with equal pleasure [to the State V i s i t of the President of Mexico] next year, to v i s i t i n g Norway, A u s t r a l i a , New

Zealand [and S r i Lanka],

and to being present i n Melbourne on the occasion of the next meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government.

My Government believe that the best hope of l a s t i n g peace l i e s i n the effective maintenance of Western security. importance

They therefore attach great

to defence and to contributing f u l l y to the North A t l a n t i c a l l i a n c e .

They w i l l continue to press f o r the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and f o r a p o l i t i c a l settlement acceptable to the Afghan people. Despite events i n Afghanistan and Cambodia, they w i l l continue to seek more stable East-West r e l a t i o n s , w i l l adopt a constructive but r e a l i s t i c approach to the forthcoming Madrid review meeting, and w i l l continue to work f o r e f f e c t i v e measures of arms control.

My Government support the e f f o r t s of the European Communty to work towards a just, l a s t i n g and comprehensive settlement of the Arab/Israel dispute. They view with grave concern the present c o n f l i c t being between Iran and Iraq and w i l l continue to work with other governments f o r an end to h o s t i l i t i e s . They w i l l continue also to support the United States' Government i n t h e i r efforts to f i n d an early and peaceful solution to the prolonged i l l e g a l detention of the United States' diplomatic hostages i n Iran.

1 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL N e g o t i a t i o n s t o f i n d an i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e c o g n i s e d settlement i n Namibia i n accordance

with the U n i t e d N a t i o n s

1

plan w i l l

continue.

My Government r e a f f i r m t h e i r s t r o n g commitment t o the European Community. They l o o k forward t o t h e a c c e s s i o n o f Greece on 1 January prospect o f f u r t h e r enlargement. to

1981 and t o t h e

They w i l l p l a y a f u l l p a r t i n d i s c u s s i o n s

improve the common a g r i c u l t u r a l p o l i c y and r e s t r u c t u r e the community budget.

They w i l l

continue t o work f o r agreement on a r e v i s e d common f i s h e r i e s

Legislation

w i l l be i n t r o d u c e d t o amend the law about the Boundary

policy.

Commissions

reviews o f the European P a r l i a m e n t c o n s t i t u e n c i e s .

My Government c o n f i r m t h e i r commitment t o the Commonwealth and the U n i t e d Nations, and w i l l

continue t o p l a y a c o n s t r u c t i v e r o l e i n t h e i r

My Government r e c o g n i s e the s e r i o u s economic problems t h a t a f f e c t developed

and d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s and w i l l

activities.

both

continue t o search f o r s o l u t i o n s .

They a r e ready t o take p a r t i n an i n t e r n a t i o n a l summit meeting on c o - o p e r a t i o n and development.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

Estimates f o r the p u b l i c s e r v i c e w i l l be l a i d b e f o r e you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

The need t o b r i n g down the r a t e o f i n f l a t i o n and c r e a t e c o n d i t i o n s f o r a s u s t a i n a b l e growth o f output and employment remains the prime concern o f my Government.

To t h a t end they w i l l

firm monetary and f i s c a l

take a l l steps n e c e s s a r y t o m a i n t a i n

policies.

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Plans f o r public expenditure w i l l take account of the need to r e s t r i c t the claims of the public sector on the nation's resources.

Tax p o l i c y w i l l

continue to recognise the need f o r incentives and f o r the s p i r i t of enterprise. Special attention w i l l continue to be given to the encouragement of new businesses and to measures to permit small firms to expand and prosper.

Proposals concerning i n d u s t r i a l t r a i n i n g w i l l be l a i d before you,

and my

Government w i l l keep under review the programme of employment and t r a i n i n g measures f o r the unemployed.

Further proposals w i l l be brought forward to reduce the scope of n a t i o n a l i s e d and state industry, and to increase competition.

My Government w i l l

take

steps to permit private p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n the B r i t i s h National O i l Corporation. Measures w i l l also be l a i d before you to replace public involvement i n transport i n d u s t r i e s with further opportunities f o r private investment; to

and

reorganise the Post O f f i c e so as to introduce greater competition i n

postal and telecommunications services.

Legislation w i l l also be introduced to amend the f i n a n c i a l arrangements f o r the National Enterprise Board, the S c o t t i s h and Welsh Development Agencies, and the Development Board for.Rural Wales; and to provide f o r a c a p i t a l reconstruction of the B r i t i s h . S t e e l Corporation.

My Government w i l l continue to ensure that the nation's energy resources are appropriately developed and e f f i c i e n t l y used.

L e g i s l a t i o n w i l l be introduced

to a s s i s t the conservation of energy and to impose a levy on the B r i t i s h Gas Corporation f o r s p e c i f i e d gas purchases.

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In Northern Ireland my Government w i l l work towards further improving security and creating the conditions f o r sound economic growth. They w i l l bring forward proposals f o r l o c a l l y - e l e c t e d representatives i n the administration of Northern Ireland.

My Government are f i r m l y committed to the maintenance of law and order'in a l l parts of the United Kingdom.

They w i l l introduce l e g i s l a t i o n to improve

the criminal law including repeal of the suspected person offence and w i l l develop plans f o r giving e f f e c t to the proposals i n the recent White Paper on young offenders.

A B i l l w i l l be introduced to change the law on n a t i o n a l i t y on the l i n e s of the White Paper published l a s t July.

Legislation w i l l be brought forward to f a c i l i t a t e the education of children with special needs.

Measures to improve the law i n Scotland r e l a t i n g to education and to l o c a l and civic government w i l l be l a i d before you.

My Government w i l l propose measures to improve road safety.

Pensions, war pensions and other s o c i a l secuity benefits w i l l be increased on 24 November and reviewed again next year.

L e g i s l a t i o n w i l l be brought

forward to place a duty on employers to provide sick pay f o r t h e i r employees during the early weeks of sickness.

Legislation w i l l be introduced to enable improvements to be made i n the health and s o c i a l services.

•"'". '

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L e g i s l a t i o n w i l l a l s o be l a i d b e f o r e you to promote the c o n s e r v a t i o n

of w i l d

l i f e and the c o u n t r y s i d e .

Measures w i l l be brought forward t o implement European Community d i r e c t i v e s on company law and i n s u r a n c e ; and a l s o t o amend the law r e l a t i n g t o t h e assumption

of c i v i l

j u r i s d i c t i o n b y c o u r t s i n the U n i t e d Kingdom and f o r

the r e c i p r o c a l enforcement o f f o r e i g n judgments i n c i v i l and commercial

A B i l l w i l l be indroduced

t o reform the law o f contempt o f c o u r t .

Other measures w i l l be l a i d b e f o r e you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, I pray t h a t the b l e s s i n g o f A l m i g h t y

God may r e s t upon your

9 October 1980

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counsels.

matters.