Rishi Sunak has declared his Government is “rising to the challenge” of the future as he used the King’s Speech to announce his legislative priorities before the next general election.

A total of 21 Bills were announced, in what the Prime Minister said was a plan to make the UK “more prosperous, more innovative, and more secure”.

The legislative agenda for the final Parliament before the next general election, which must be held by January 2025, shines a light on the areas Downing Street is most focussed on. 

“Growing the economy” was one theme, with Bills to issue yearly oil and gas licences, protect consumers from rip-off fees and join the Trans-Pacific Partnership announced. 

“Strengthening society” was another, including reforming the system of leaseholds, bringing in a football regulator and better protecting renters from eviction.

Another was “keeping people safe”, with “life means life” prison sentences and greater powers for police to raid homes to find stolen iPhones.

Some of the Prime Minister’s personal priorities, such as a phased ban on cigarette sales and focussing on smaller rail projects than High Speed Rail 2, were mentioned too.

But Labour criticised the proposals as threadbare. Telegraph analysis shows this year’s package had the fewest Bills announced in any King’s or Queen’s Speech since 2014. 

Mr Sunak said in a foreword: “We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path. But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. 

“They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs.

“When I talk to people across the UK, I see the incredible talent and potential that we have - it’s our most powerful resource. 

“They want to see a Government that is even more ambitious for the future of this country - and prepared to take the long term decisions and do the hard work to deliver it.

“With this historic King’s Speech, we are rising to that challenge. We are changing our country for the long term, delivering a brighter future.”

He added: “Together, we will make our country more prosperous, more innovative, and more secure, ready to seize the better future that the British people deserve.”

Jail sentences of less than a year will be scrapped for most criminals by creating a legal presumption that they should instead receive suspended prison terms and be required to do unpaid work in the community, such as cleaning streets or scrubbing graffiti off walls.

The presumption will cover most of the 37,000 offenders jailed each year for 12 months or less. 

It will include burglars, thieves, shoplifters, drug dealers and drink drivers, but exclude any sex, violent or terror offences. 

Those serving sentences over four years will also for the first time be eligible to be released early on tags.

Sadistic or sexual killers will face whole life terms where “life means life”, while jailed rapists will have to serve their full prison sentence without parole.

Grooming gang leaders will also face longer jail terms as their actions will be treated as “aggravating” factors.

Defendants will be forced to attend their sentencing, with judges handed discretionary powers to order prison officers to use “reasonable force” to bring them to the dock. Refusal to appear could add two years to an offender’s sentence.

Police will get powers to enter a premises without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as phones, where they have “reasonable proof” they are in the property. 

Articles used by gangs to commit serious and organised crime will be banned, such as templates for 3D printed guns and signal jammers used in vehicle theft.

Police will also be empowered to tackle “persistent, nuisance and organised begging” under legislation to replace the repealed Vagrancy Act.

New powers will allow the Government to issue notices to prevent multinational companies rolling out technology such as encryption that could hamper efforts by the law enforcement agencies to get access to data involved in crimes, including child sexual exploitation or terrorism.

There will be changes to the law to ensure that intelligence agencies are able to “more effectively” make use of less sensitive bulk personal data, which is already widely available to the public.

Venues will be required to fulfil “necessary but proportionate” steps to mitigate the impact of a terrorist offence and reduce harm. 

It will cover physical measures as well as support, guidance and training for staff venues.

It is known as Martyn’s Law, after Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack 2017.

Ministers will get powers to block the release of a new “top tier” of prisoners convicted of murder, rape, the most serious terrorism offences, or causing or allowing the death of a child.

The Bill will also enshrine the victims’ code in law, which gives victims of crime and their families’ rights to information, to be consulted and to have their voices heard.

Prisoners convicted of the most serious offences or serving whole life terms will be barred from marrying in jail.

Meanwhile, Jade’s law, named after Jade Ward, will create an automatic suspension of parental responsibility from a person convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter of their partner.

This legislation - designed to mark a dividing line with Labour ahead of the election - will ensure there are annual North Sea oil and gas licensing rounds every year.

The King, who is known to be a green advocate, said it will “help the country transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households”.

The Bill is designed to reduce Britain’s dependency on countries like Russia

There will be emissions tests to ensure that future licensing supports the transition to net zero.

It pits Rishi Sunak against Sir Keir Starmer, who has ruled out granting any new licences.

The Bill will open the way for Britain to join the CPTPP trade agreement with countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand - what the King called the “fastest-growing region in the world”.

It gives these countries greater access to our government procurement market in return for Britain gaining commercial opportunities in those markets.

It will enhance regulatory cooperation between the UK and CPTPP parties, and help the agricultural sector by bringing Britain’s approach to geographical indications into line with the CPTPP.

The legislation will also expand copyright protections to companies from CPTPP countries.

The King said the legislation will “support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles”.

It will set the legal framework to allow autonomous vehicles to operate on the country’s roads for the first time, with the Department of Transport given the power to authorise cars which can drive themselves safety and follow all road traffic rules.

Firms will be held fully accountable for mistakes, with fines and possible criminal charges.

People sat behind the wheel when a car is driving itself will be given immunity from prosecution.

Ministers hope it will lead to driverless bus companies operating commercial services for the public by 2030.

This legislation is designed to tackle consumer rip-offs and drive down prices.

It will tackle drip pricing, where firms such as airlines only advertise part of a product’s price upfront and reveal other changes later in the buying process.

The Bill will clamp down on fake online reviews and give people new rights to exit subscription contracts.

It will also give new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority to allow it to tackle more types of anti-competitive activity without having to go to court, and to take action against global tech firms.

The King said this legislation will introduce new legal frameworks to “encourage innovation in technologies such as machine learning”.

Ministers claim it will take advantage of post-Brexit opportunities to create a new UK data rights regime.

It will allow businesses to protect data in a more proportionate and practical ways than under the EU’s GDPR, and clarifies rules around using personal data for scientific research.

Other changes will allow people to digitally verify themselves more easily.

The Information Commissioner’s Office will also be strengthened, including broadening its powers to investigate nuisance calls which plague the elderly.

This legislation will remove a threat to the freedom of the press and, in the words of the King, “protect public interest journalism”.

It will repeal a law that meant newspapers were liable to pay the legal costs for both sides in libel and privacy cases, regardless of who won.

The Bill will modernise the “mission statement” for public service TV ensuring the BBC and others have to focus on what makes them distinctive.

There will also be stricter regulation for streaming platforms such as Netflix, bringing the rules into line with traditional TV stations.

Radio stations will have to be easily accessible on smart speakers, and public sector TV stations will be easily accessible on smart TV.

This legislation modernises the rules on arbitration as recommended by the Law Commission of England and Wales.

It will allow more families and businesses to take advantage of arbitration rather than having to go to court to resolve disputes.

The legislation clarifies the law governing arbitration agreements, strengthening the court’s supporting powers, and facilitating quicker dispute resolution.

This legislation will ban excessively long journeys for animals being taken to slaughter or for fattening. It will ban the live export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses. It will ensure animals are slaughtered domestically in “high welfare” UK slaughterhouses.

The Bill takes advantage of Brexit freedoms, which means the UK can ban live animal exports which was prevented under EU rules. 

Live animal exports will be allowed for breeding and competitions.

Public bodies will be banned from conducting boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns against other countries, and in particular Israel.

It will include enforcement powers that will allow for compliance notices and impose cash penalties on public bodies that breach the ban.

A new railway reform Bill will be introduced, which is set to bring down the cost of commuting by effectively halving the price of a single ticket.

The legislation will end the current situation, where train companies often charge almost the same price for a single journey as they do for a return.

Ministers said they will “remove the anomaly” by introducing a single leg pricing system nationwide, which will “make the railways easier to use”.

The Bill will also end the current franchise system by establishing a new body, Great British Railways, to oversee the delivery of services and ticket prices.

Unlike other legislation in the speech, the Bill is only a draft and will undergo “pre-legislative scrutiny” from industry and experts, raising questions over whether it will be introduced before the next election.

Ministers will explore introducing a new tax on vapes, similar to tobacco duty, as part of a crackdown on their growing use, especially amongst youngsters.

The Bill includes plans to ban the sale of child friendly flavours and packaging and make sure vapes are kept behind the counter.

The legislation will also bring into law Mr Sunak’s commitment to end smoking by ensuring no child born after January 1, 2009 can ever take up the habit.

Under the measures the legal age for buying cigarettes will rise by one year every year for the current generation.

Michael Gove’s plans to end leaseholds have been watered down, with a total abolition of the “feudal” system having been dropped.

Instead, there will only be a ban on any new leasehold homes being built, whilst new rules will be introduced to allow flat owners to more easily buy their freehold.

Ministers will also set all new ground rents - charges levied on the land that leasehold properties sit on - at zero and will explore capping existing ones.

Plans to abolish no-fault evictions have been included in a Renters’ Reform Bill - but have also been effectively kicked into the long grass.

Ministers will not press ahead with removing Section 21 notices until “stronger possession grounds and a new court process” are in place.

Landlords have complained the reforms will leave them unable to take control of their own property, with many selling up in response.

The legislation will also outlaw blanket bans on tenants having pets, though property owners will be able to require them to take out damage insurance.

A new independent regulator will be created with clubs in the top five tiers all having to apply for a licence to continue operating in England and Wales.

The legislation will introduce tougher owner and director tests for clubs to address “growing concerns about financial mismanagement… and questions about illicit finance”.

New rules will also be brought in, meaning clubs have to secure more than 50 per cent of fan support before changing their badge, name or home shirt colours.

Clubs will also be banned from joining breakaway leagues, following the scandal over England’s top sides attempting to form a European Super League.

Ministers are introducing legislation to crack down on the use of pedicabs in London, including by bringing in a requirement for them to be licensed.

Transport for London will be given powers to enforce new rules including fare control amid concerns that tourists are being ripped off.

Pedicab drivers will also have to undergo criminal record and right to work checks before they are allowed to carry passengers, like taxi drivers do.

A Bill is being brought forward to green light the construction and maintenance of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to Parliament.

The centre will be built in Victoria Tower Gardens and will “serve as a powerful reminder to the whole nation of the Holocaust and its victims”, ministers said.

It fulfils a Tory manifesto commitment to build such a facility to “act as an inspiration to the whole nation for generations to come”.