The Queen's Speech 2015: 30 hours of childcare and powers to improve schools

Speaking this morning at the state opening or parliament, she outlined the Government’s plans to help working people by doubling the provision of free childcare from 15 to 30 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds.

The offer, being introduced in 2017, will be available only to families where all parents work.

The Queen also announced that legislation will be brought forward to give the Government new powers to intervene in schools that are ‘failing’ or ‘coasting’, and speed up the process of turning them into academies.

Currently, schools that are rated inadequate by Ofsted are usually converted into academies, however, this can take some time.

Within her speech, the Queen also announced measures to speed up the adoption process, along with expanding the Government’s Troubled Families programme.

As well as this, details of the Government's employment and welfare benefits Bill were revealed. The purpose of the Bill is to deliver on the Government's commitment to freeze the main rates of a number of working-age benefits, tax credits and child benefit, as well as reducing the level of the benefit cap.