On 13 May 2026, the King set out the UK Government’s legislative priorities for the new parliamentary session. These include steel production, water quality, and education.
This article sets out which of these proposals apply to Wales.
Some of the Bills mentioned in the speech have been carried over from the previous parliamentary session. These are:
- The Armed Forces Bill;
- The Courts and Tribunals Bill;
- The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill;
- The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill;
- The Public Office (Accountability) Bill;
- The Railways Bill; and
- The Representation of the People Bill.
The role of the Senedd
Under the Sewel convention, the UK Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved matters without the Senedd’s consent. Where provisions in Bills relate to devolved matters, the Welsh Government will usually lay a Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM), setting out whether it recommends the Senedd should grant its consent for the provisions to be made.
Where provisions in Bills apply to Wales but relate to areas reserved to the UK Parliament, the Senedd does not vote on whether to grant consent.
Which Bills will apply to Wales?
The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens MP, has identified 30 Bills that extend and apply to Wales, either in full or in part, including two draft Bills. These are set out below.
Information and quotes below come from the King’s Speech background briefing document.
The Representation of the People Bill, to reform UK elections by, for example, extending the right to vote for 16 and 17 year olds to all UK elections and reforming rules on political donations. This Bill was carried over from the previous parliamentary session. In March 2026, the then Welsh Government laid an LCM, recommending that the Seventh Senedd grant consent to provisions relating to devolved matters.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, which aims to deliver on the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to bring forward a ‘Hillsborough Law’. This Bill was also carried over from the previous parliamentary session. The previous Senedd’s Legislation Justice and Constitution (LJC) Committee, and Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee considered the then Welsh Government’s LCMs on the Bill. We’ve previously written about what the Bill as introduced would mean for Wales.
The Removal of Peerages Bill, to enable peerages to be removed from “disgraced” Peers who have failed to uphold the highest standards in public life.
The Police Reform Bill, to create a new National Police Service, abolish Police and Crime Commissioners, and reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill, which would extend magistrates’ court sentencing powers and introduce new modes of trial by judge alone in defined circumstances. This Bill was carried over from the previous parliamentary session. We’ve previously written about some of the proposed reforms.
The Immigration and Asylum Bill, to bring into effect the main reforms announced in the Restoring Order and Control statement in November 2025.
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, to “enable victims and bereaved families across the UK to seek information and accountability through a reformed Legacy Commission”. This Bill was carried over from the previous parliamentary session.
The Sovereign Grant Bill, which would reset the Sovereign Grant once the current work to reservice Buckingham Palace comes to an end.
The Sporting Events Bill, which aims to ensure sporting events “can be delivered as efficiently as possible” and “enhance [the UK’s] competitive advantage when bidding for future global tournaments”.
A Draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill, to make it illegal for tickets to live events to be resold for more than their original cost.
The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, which would give the UK Government powers to transfer ownership of ‘steel undertakings’ to public ownership (described as manufacturing or processing of steel). The UK Government says that this will enable it to nationalise British Steel Ltd, subject to a public interest test being met.
The European Partnership Bill, to facilitate the “implementation of new deals agreed with the EU now and in the future”. The UK-EU Common Understanding agreement paves the way for the UK to follow EU rules in “electricity, emissions trading, and food and drink”. We’ve already written about what that agreement might mean for Wales.
The Commercial Payments Bill, with the aim of reforming rules around late payments between businesses.
The Competition Reform Bill, with the aim of making competition investigations faster and more predictable, reducing burdens on businesses, and ensuring consumers benefit sooner.
The Regulating for Growth Bill, which aims to make the UK’s regulatory system fit for the future so that it plays a full role in delivering growth and supporting innovation.
The Financial Services and Markets Bill, which aims to modernise how the financial sector is regulated, enable it to grow and lend more to businesses, and improve consumer protections.
The Clean Water Bill, which, among other measures, would establish a new integrated water regulator for England. The new Welsh Government’s made several manifesto commitments relating to water, including to establish a new water regulator in Wales.
The Energy Independence Bill, which aims to “scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long term”, including through establishing a Warm Homes Agency to help deliver the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan.
The Nuclear Regulation Bill, to take forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review to support “quicker delivery of nuclear projects”. In November 2025, the UK Government announced that Wylfa, Anglesey will host a new power station containing the UK’s first small modular reactors.
The Electricity Generator Levy Bill, which aims to help “break the link between electricity and gas prices by moving older generators onto new fixed-price contracts”.
The Health Bill, to “enhance patient safety and experience” in the English NHS. As health is mostly devolved, the majority of the provisions in this Bill apply to England only.
A Draft Conversion Practices Bill, to bring forward a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices (the term used for attempts to change, modify or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity). The draft Bill will seek to “fill the gaps in criminal law” to target conversion practices.
The Digital Access to Services Bill, to introduce digital ID to “modernise how citizens interact with public services”.
The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which would introduce measures such as a ban on the use of leasehold for new flats and a cap on ground rents at £250 per year. A draft version of this Bill was published by the UK Government in January 2026.
The Armed Forces Bill, which aims to ensure that the legal framework remains in place for the Armed Forces to be recruited and maintained, and extends the Armed Forces Covenant legal duty. This Bill has been carried over from the previous UK parliamentary session. The previous Senedd’s LJC Committee, and Equality and Social Justice Committee reported on the then Welsh Government’s LCM for the Bill.
The Tackling State Threats Bill, to provide means “to disrupt and deter the activities of state-linked entities and those acting in concert with them, equivalent to proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000”.
The National Security Bill, to “create new offences to protect the UK from the proliferation of extreme violence online, amend existing legislation to reform the cyber landscape and close gaps within [the] state threats legislation, aligning it more closely with terrorism legislation”.
The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill, which aims to improve the UK’s defences against cyber attacks. This Bill was carried over from the previous parliamentary session. The previous Senedd’s LJC Committee and the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure (CCEI) Committee reported on the then Welsh Government’s LCM.
The Railways Bill, which would aim to establish a “strong Passenger Watchdog”, simplify ticketing systems, and introduce duties to “protect and grow the freight industry”. This Bill was also carried over. The previous Senedd’s LJC and CCEI committees considered the then Welsh Government’s three LCMs on the Bill. We’ve previously written about what the Bill might mean for Wales.
The Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, to “strengthen consumer rights and protections, promote economic growth and infrastructure provision, and enhance aviation safety”.
Welsh Government priorities
At time of writing, the new Welsh Government has yet to respond to the King’s Speech.
It will likely be setting out its own legislative programme within the next few months. Keep an eye on the Senedd Research website for our summary of any new proposals.
Article by Adam Cooke, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
