World class infrastructure, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), will be crucial to the UK's economic security, the King stated in his speech today.

The King’s Speech – the second under this government – unveiled a raft of 37 bills and draft bills facing targeted at strengthening the UK’s foundations through measures to bolster economic, energy and national security.

Marking the beginning of a new  parliamentary session, the speech sets out the government’s legislative plans for the year ahead.  

King Charles said: “An increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom, with the conflict in the Middle East only the most recent example. Every element of the nation’s energy, defence and economic security will be tested.”

He said the UK’s economic security depends upon “world class infrastructure”. And legislation will be introduced to unlock airport expansion with the Civil Aviation Bill.

The Highways (Financing) Bill will enable roads to be “built at pace” including the Lower Thames -  a new road that will connect Kent and Essex through a tunnel beneath the River Thames. 

The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill will safeguard domestic steel production and the King said the Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill will “deliver a fair deal for the North of England”.

Other Bills announced include:
The Clean Water Bill:  Creates a new regulator for the industry and provides stronger consumer protections.
Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill: To establish Great British Railways, a new body bringing track and train together, delivering reliable services for passengers and catalysing growth across the country.
Energy Independence Bill:  To scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long-term
Nuclear Regulation Bill: To take forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review and encourage a new era of British nuclear energy generation
Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill: Bill will increase penalty interest for companies that fail to pay suppliers on time
Regulating for Growth Bill: will allow for pilot schemes to boost innovation in areas like defence technology and AI-controlled ships

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has welcomed the focus on nationally strategic sectors, including energy, water and rail, in today's King's Speech, describing the proposed programme of legislation as a significant step in streamlining regulation and prioritising delivery.

Milda Manomaityte, chief executive of ACE, said: “This year’s King’s Speech has been delivered against a politically difficult backdrop for the Labour Government: tight fiscal headroom, weak growth and rising expectations for visible delivery before the next general election, and a difficult set of local elections for the government.

“Against that context, it is welcome that the legislative programme tightly focuses on accelerating infrastructure and housing delivery, unlocking private investment, and streamlining regulation and planning to prioritise delivery. The Energy Independence Bill in particular sends a strong signal of long-term commitment to building a secure, homegrown energy supply, unlocking a significant pipeline of projects across renewables, grid infrastructure, storage and low-carbon technologies for ACE members. A resilient domestic energy supply cannot rest on renewables alone though. It requires a clean, mixed energy portfolio built for long-term security.

“We also welcome plans to overhaul the water sector. The Clean Water Bill should drive demand for specialist expertise in areas such as wastewater treatment, nature-based solutions, flood resilience and catchment management, areas where UK consultancies are globally recognised leaders. Finally, the absence of new transport announcements should not overshadow the sustained commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Lower Thames Crossing, and airport expansion. For industry, continuity is confidence, and confidence drives delivery. The task now is to translate that backing into action, breaking the cycle of delay that has hindered major infrastructure in Britain.”

Richard Whitehead, chief executive officer at AECOM, said: “The King's Speech lands at a testing moment, for the sector and for a government still digesting a difficult set of election results. Geopolitical instability, rising energy prices and renewed cost pressures are squeezing a construction sector already operating on thin margins.

“The Energy Independence Bill and its drive to accelerate consenting for major energy infrastructure projects is an important step forward to scale up homegrown clean energy. Faster decisions will help unblock a pipeline the country urgently needs to strengthen energy security and reduce its exposure to volatile global markets.

“We also welcome the legislation to clean up the water industry, with the potential to rebuild resilience and restore public trust, provided reforms are implemented at pace to enable faster delivery of essential infrastructure. 

“While no new major infrastructure was announced, the reaffirmed commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Lower Thames Crossing and airport expansion is encouraging. Maintaining momentum and delivering on existing commitments will be key to driving regional growth across the UK.”

Mott MacDonald transport managing director for UK and Europe, Tony O’Toole, said: “The direction set out today signals a clear intent to keep the UK building and modernising its transport networks.

“Unlocking airport expansion, progressing key road schemes like Lower Thames Crossing and delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail will be vital to improving connectivity and driving growth across regions. Alongside this, rail reform through Great British Railways provides the foundation for a more integrated and customer-focused rail network.

“Ultimately, the test will be in how quickly this translates into delivery on the ground and we look forward to playing our part in turning ambition into reality.”

Mott MacDonald’s water consultancy development manager, Keith Macpherson,  added that plans for the Clean Water Bill marked a “significant step towards stronger environmental performance and long‑term resilience across the water sector”.

He added: “The Bill presents an opportunity to scale up nature‑based solutions and embed whole‑life outcomes alongside traditional infrastructure investment to deliver transformational change.

“Realising this potential will call for earlier engagement with multi‑disciplinary design teams, ensuring that engineering, environmental, digital and operational expertise are brought together from the outset. Careful transition planning will be essential to maintain momentum during the current investment cycle while continuing to deliver the commitments to improved outcomes for communities and ecosystems.”

John Ord, regional business lead for energy for Stantec UK and Ireland, said: “It was important the industry heard an emphasis on energy security in the King’s Speech today. Our energy sector acts as the UK’s beating heart and its ability to evolve is integral to economic growth and resilience.

“The government’s commitment to scale up domestic low carbon energy generation in the long-term is of course welcome, and pushing forward with nuclear power is such an important piece of this puzzle, whether it’s from SMRs or large-scale plants. But so too is driving our energy storage capabilities and upgrading the grid at pace to meet rising power demands from data centres and the integration of renewables. These are immediate, monumental challenges we need to address.

“The industry needs delivery to rapidly accelerate and build capacity if it is to meet the government’s level of ambition. The adoption of the recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review, and the progress of the Energy Independence Bill, will be crucial enablers of this, and we look forward to seeing these develop quickly so we can further strengthen our energy security and support the country’s transition to net zero.”

Alan Sinclair, director and UK head of energy and natural resources at Turner & Townsend, said: “The King’s Speech made clear that the UK’s energy security sits alongside the economy and defence as vital components to strengthen the country’s resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. The commitments in the King’s Speech to speed up clean energy projects and strengthen grid infrastructure are exactly what the sector has been calling for – but realising this ambition will also require our industry to have its house in order too.

“Robust programme management, and addressing longstanding constraints around skills and supply chain capacity are essential to ensuring successful outcomes, especially against today’s competing pipeline of work.

“The government’s acknowledgement of the need for long-term policy certainty in energy, beyond parliamentary cycles, through the Nuclear Regulation Bill and Energy Independence Bill, will provide a confidence boost to the industry. We should use this as a catalyst both to galvanise the sector and encourage private investment to help build the energy networks the UK needs for the future.”