Nothing much new on immigration in the Queen’s Speech today. This is the occasion when the government, via the monarch, formally lays out its plans for passing new laws.

The speech itself referred to the New Plan for Immigration measures, but the more detailed background notes just give a brief recap of what the New Plan said. No actual bill to implement it is outlined, which makes sense given that consultation has only just closed. Legislation will come along eventually, though.

Plans for a Judicial Review Bill are similarly “subject to the outcome of the consultation” that closed on 29 April. It looks as though they are taking another look at the rationale for abolishing Cart judicial reviews after widespread criticism that the number of successful cases has been drastically undercounted: “We are considering this proposal in light of ongoing evidence analysis”.

For those wondering what exactly the Government has proposed in the Queen’s speech for judicial review, I can tell you that the answer is as yet nothing more than the carry-forwards from the IRAL report, i.e. …

— Tom Hickman (@TomRHickman) May 11, 2021

One potentially relevant piece of legislation wasn’t mentioned in the speech at all: a Professional Qualifications Bill. This would “create a new framework to recognise professional qualifications from across the world to ensure the UK can access professionals in areas of a workforce shortage”. Nurses and teachers are mentioned, and there is to be “a new system for recognising all architects who qualified overseas”.