By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 17:02 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:54 EST, 8 May 2013 . Curbs on immigrants’ access to benefits, the NHS and housing unveiled in the Queen’s Speech prompted a storm of controversy last night. David Cameron said a crowd-pleasing package of measures would ‘attract people who will contribute’ but ‘deter those who will not’, and hailed other moves to help ordinary families as evidence that the Government is ‘standing up for hard-working people’. But Labour suggested one proposal – to require landlords to check the immigration status of tenants – risked encouraging racism, while others insisted doctors and property owners should not be made to do the work of immigration officials. SCROLL DOWN FOR QUEEN'S SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS . Regal: Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster . Support: Prince Charles sits next to the Queen in the Lords as she announces 20 bills which her Government hopes to pass in the coming year . Concentration: As his mother reads her speech . today, Charles and his second wife listen intently to the proposed . legislation she announced . Loyal: Her Majesty was accompanied as usual by Prince Philip, but the Queen is understood to be concerned not to put too much strain on her husband, who will be 92 next month . The Royal College of General Practitioners said GPs were not prepared to act as a new ‘border agency’ policing access to healthcare. Some of the measures, including a six-month time limit on benefit claims, a local residency test for council house access and a residency requirement before accessing civil legal aid, will be in place within months. But those requiring full-scale legislation, including measures to ensure temporary migrants or their governments are made to pay for using the NHS and requirements on landlords and employers to check the status of tenants and employees, are unlikely to be in place in time for January. That is when controls on Romanian and Bulgarian incomers will be lifted. Regal: A smiling Queen Elizabeth II leaves through the Norman Porch of the Palace of Westminster having given her speech to the assembled Lords and MPs today . Departure: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are then led away as the head back to the Palace this afternoon . Exit: The grinning monarch looks pleased that her speech over, as a pleased Charles and Camilla are taken home by carriage . Iconic: The famous outline of the Queen after she announced the Government would impose a fresh clampdown on immigration . Yesterday's Queen’s Speech was billed as an attempt by the Government finally to get tough on immigration. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the intention was to remove the ‘pull factors’ to Britain. Here, our Home Affairs Editor examines the planned legislation. DETER ILLEGALS . Plan: Blitz on firms who use illegal labour. Current fines of £10,000 per worker ‘substantially’ increased. Law changed to ban illegals from holding a driving licence. Will it work? Only if businesses think they will be caught. The number of employers prosecuted was only 1,215 last year – down from 2,092 in 2010. Does nothing to deter the supposed target of David Cameron’s crackdown – the Romanians and Bulgarians who gain free access to the labour market in January. At best, it will reduce net migration by convincing people currently working in the black economy to go home. NHS . Plan: Force temporary migrants to make a contribution to the cost of their healthcare. Ask non-EU nationals to pay a bond before travelling to Britain. Ask health staff to check a migrant is here legally. Will it work? Nurses and doctors are livid at the idea of being asked to conduct immigration checks. GP leaders said they ‘have a duty of care to all people’. Identifying migrants who should pay for care is very different from being able to recover the money, once they have received emergency treatment. Critics say the only way to solve the problem is to introduce an entitlement card. PRIVATE LANDLORDS . Plan: Force private landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants or risk huge fines. Will it work? Was already descending into a shambles last night with ministers unable to explain how it would work. There are two million buy-to-let landlords in the private sector. Expecting them to guess who might be an illegal migrant on sight is fraught with difficulty. Civil liberties groups claim the plan could amount to discrimination – with legal challenges expected. Large numbers of forged documents in circulation could quickly render the checks meaningless. And some critics say the measures will be limited in effectiveness as illegal migrants could be living in sub-let social housing, sleeping on friends’ floors or in garden sheds. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE . Plan: Restrict appeals in immigration cases. Change law to stop foreign criminals using article 8 of the Human Rights Act – the right to a family life – to thwart deportation attempts in the UK courts. Will it work? The simplest and potentially most effective aspect of the crackdown. The danger, however, is that Strasbourg – which has shown limited interest in article 8 – will itself begin intervening on family-life grounds. Solving this problem would require withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights. RESTRICT ACCESS TO BENEFITS . Plan: Strip migrants of out-of-work benefits after six months if they are not on the verge of getting a job . Will it work? Not in Queen’s Speech but will be introduced at a later stage. Labour say it is a con as existing DWP guidelines state migrants must be ‘genuinely seeking work, and have a reasonable chance of being engaged’ if they wish to continue receiving State handouts. EU regulations say the same thing. So, while it sounds tough, the impact is likely to be limited.Although the Queen’s Speech, which . included 15 Bills and signalled four others, was finalised before UKIP’s . surge in last week’s council elections, the focus on immigration is . seen as a response to public concerns which the Eurosceptic party has . successfully exploited. The Queen told MPs and peers that her Government’s top priority remained the economy. But she said an Immigration Bill will . aim to ‘ensure that this country attracts people  who will contribute . and deter those who  will not’. Measures will regulate migrant access . to the NHS, with incomers expected to be given temporary rather than . permanent NHS numbers and charged for access to all but emergency . treatment. There will also be steps to  prevent . illegal immigrants from obtaining driving licences, bigger fines for . businesses using illegal labour and a requirement on private landlords . to check the immigration status of tenants. The Bill will make it easier to remove . people from the UK, limiting rights to appeal against deportation. Access to benefits will also be limited, and clearer priority given to . long-term local residents in social housing queues. Pageantry: Two boys help with the the Queen's parliamentary robe as she prepares to take a seat and give her annual address . Audience: Peers watch Her Majesty as she prepares to give her 2013 Queen's speech . In the Commons, Mr Cameron said: ‘Put . simply, our Immigration Bill will back aspiration and end the legacy of . the last government where people could come here and expect something . for nothing.’ He said the legislation was vital as . Labour had left a system  which was ‘out of control’, with around a . third of the ‘skilled’ migrants who came to the UK under Labour having . ended up ‘in low-skilled roles working  in takeaways or as security . guards’. The Prime Minister added: ‘Our . determination to end the last government’s something- for-nothing . culture is also why  we continue to pursue our  welfare reforms – every . one of them is about making sure  work pays.’ He pointed out that Labour leader Ed . Miliband had ordered his MPs to vote against the £26,000 benefit cap and . the one per cent freeze on annual benefits increases. ‘We are standing . up for hard-working people,’ he said. ‘This is a Queen’s Speech that . will back aspiration and those who want to get on.’ The Imperial State Crown is carried on a cushion as it arrives for the State Opening of Parliament . Prince Charles touches his cap as he and Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, walk through Parliament . Dramatic: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh walk up the stairs towards the House of Lords flanked by the Armed Forces . Her Majesty is led by the hand into the chamber by her 92-year-old husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh . Mr Miliband insisted the  Coalition . was doing nothing to boost growth, cut youth unemployment or tackle . rising living costs and was a ‘tired and failing government’. ‘Out of touch, out of ideas, standing up for the wrong people and unable to bring the change the country needs,’ he added. Attacking Mr Cameron’s attempt to win . back some of those who voted UKIP in last week’s elections, Mr Miliband . said: ‘They used to call them clowns. Now they want to join the circus.’ Labour’s housing spokesman Jack Dromey said: ‘Tackling illegal . immigration must not take us back to the days when my Irish father was . turned away from boarding houses displaying “no dogs, no Irish” signs.’ Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal . College of GPs, said: ‘Whilst the health system must not be abused and . we must bring an end to health tourism, it is important that we do not . overestimate the problem and that GPs are not placed in the invidious . position of being the new border agency.’ Jeremy Raj, of the London law firm . Wedlake Bell, said: ‘Expecting landlords to carry out the work of . immigration officials is unreasonable and unworkable.’ Queen Elizabeth rides in a carriage to the Palace of Westminster. She has only missed two State Openings since 1952, because she was pregnant . Event: The Queen starts her trip from Buckingham Palace this morning, accompanied by The Imperial State Crown, which travelled in its own carriage in front of her . On their way: Prince Charles and Camilla, . Duchess of Cornwall ride in a carriage to the Palace of Westminster for . the State Opening of Parliamen . Nimble: The 91-yar-old Duke of Edinburgh climbs out of the state coach as it arrives at Westminster . Chivalrous: Prince Philip then waits for his wife and helps her down before they took the steps up into the building . March: The men head for the vaults to search for explosives, after the event was targeted by Guy Fawkes, who tried to kill James I . Members of the Household Cavalry undergo last-minute checks at the Houses of Parliament this afternoon . Waiting: Judges sit in the House of Lords as they wait for the start of the State opening of Parliament .
Labour question proposal to require landlords to check the immigration status of tenants .
The Queen announced 20 Bills which her government plans to pass in the next year .
Payment by results plan to stop criminals reoffending and new laws to tackle dangerous dogs .
Cutting National Insurance bills and tearing up health and safety laws to help businesses grow .
Rogue traders face court fines as shoppers get new protections from faulty digital downloads .
Full steam ahead for High Speed Rail line linking London to the Midlands and North .
Families told homes will not need to be sold to pay for elderly care bills as costs are capped .
Pensioners are promised a new flat-rate pension to help people plan for their future .
By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 17:02 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:54 EST, 8 May 2013 . Curbs on immigrants’ access to benefits, the NHS and housing unveiled in the Queen’s Speech prompted a storm of controversy last night. David Cameron said a crowd-pleasing package of measures would ‘attract people who will contribute’ but ‘deter those who will not’, and hailed other moves to help ordinary families as evidence that the Government is ‘standing up for hard-working people’. But Labour suggested one proposal – to require landlords to check the immigration status of tenants – risked encouraging racism, while others insisted doctors and property owners should not be made to do the work of immigration officials. SCROLL DOWN FOR QUEEN'S SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS . Regal: Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster . Support: Prince Charles sits next to the Queen in the Lords as she announces 20 bills which her Government hopes to pass in the coming year . Concentration: As his mother reads her speech . today, Charles and his second wife listen intently to the proposed . legislation she announced . Loyal: Her Majesty was accompanied as usual by Prince Philip, but the Queen is understood to be concerned not to put too much strain on her husband, who will be 92 next month . The Royal College of General Practitioners said GPs were not prepared to act as a new ‘border agency’ policing access to healthcare. Some of the measures, including a six-month time limit on benefit claims, a local residency test for council house access and a residency requirement before accessing civil legal aid, will be in place within months. But those requiring full-scale legislation, including measures to ensure temporary migrants or their governments are made to pay for using the NHS and requirements on landlords and employers to check the status of tenants and employees, are unlikely to be in place in time for January. That is when controls on Romanian and Bulgarian incomers will be lifted. Regal: A smiling Queen Elizabeth II leaves through the Norman Porch of the Palace of Westminster having given her speech to the assembled Lords and MPs today . Departure: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are then led away as the head back to the Palace this afternoon . Exit: The grinning monarch looks pleased that her speech over, as a pleased Charles and Camilla are taken home by carriage . Iconic: The famous outline of the Queen after she announced the Government would impose a fresh clampdown on immigration . Yesterday's Queen’s Speech was billed as an attempt by the Government finally to get tough on immigration. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the intention was to remove the ‘pull factors’ to Britain. Here, our Home Affairs Editor examines the planned legislation. DETER ILLEGALS . Plan: Blitz on firms who use illegal labour. Current fines of £10,000 per worker ‘substantially’ increased. Law changed to ban illegals from holding a driving licence. Will it work? Only if businesses think they will be caught. The number of employers prosecuted was only 1,215 last year – down from 2,092 in 2010. Does nothing to deter the supposed target of David Cameron’s crackdown – the Romanians and Bulgarians who gain free access to the labour market in January. At best, it will reduce net migration by convincing people currently working in the black economy to go home. NHS . Plan: Force temporary migrants to make a contribution to the cost of their healthcare. Ask non-EU nationals to pay a bond before travelling to Britain. Ask health staff to check a migrant is here legally. Will it work? Nurses and doctors are livid at the idea of being asked to conduct immigration checks. GP leaders said they ‘have a duty of care to all people’. Identifying migrants who should pay for care is very different from being able to recover the money, once they have received emergency treatment. Critics say the only way to solve the problem is to introduce an entitlement card. PRIVATE LANDLORDS . Plan: Force private landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants or risk huge fines. Will it work? Was already descending into a shambles last night with ministers unable to explain how it would work. There are two million buy-to-let landlords in the private sector. Expecting them to guess who might be an illegal migrant on sight is fraught with difficulty. Civil liberties groups claim the plan could amount to discrimination – with legal challenges expected. Large numbers of forged documents in circulation could quickly render the checks meaningless. And some critics say the measures will be limited in effectiveness as illegal migrants could be living in sub-let social housing, sleeping on friends’ floors or in garden sheds. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE . Plan: Restrict appeals in immigration cases. Change law to stop foreign criminals using article 8 of the Human Rights Act – the right to a family life – to thwart deportation attempts in the UK courts. Will it work? The simplest and potentially most effective aspect of the crackdown. The danger, however, is that Strasbourg – which has shown limited interest in article 8 – will itself begin intervening on family-life grounds. Solving this problem would require withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights. RESTRICT ACCESS TO BENEFITS . Plan: Strip migrants of out-of-work benefits after six months if they are not on the verge of getting a job . Will it work? Not in Queen’s Speech but will be introduced at a later stage. Labour say it is a con as existing DWP guidelines state migrants must be ‘genuinely seeking work, and have a reasonable chance of being engaged’ if they wish to continue receiving State handouts. EU regulations say the same thing. So, while it sounds tough, the impact is likely to be limited.Although the Queen’s Speech, which . included 15 Bills and signalled four others, was finalised before UKIP’s . surge in last week’s council elections, the focus on immigration is . seen as a response to public concerns which the Eurosceptic party has . successfully exploited. The Queen told MPs and peers that her Government’s top priority remained the economy. But she said an Immigration Bill will . aim to ‘ensure that this country attracts people  who will contribute . and deter those who  will not’. Measures will regulate migrant access . to the NHS, with incomers expected to be given temporary rather than . permanent NHS numbers and charged for access to all but emergency . treatment. There will also be steps to  prevent . illegal immigrants from obtaining driving licences, bigger fines for . businesses using illegal labour and a requirement on private landlords . to check the immigration status of tenants. The Bill will make it easier to remove . people from the UK, limiting rights to appeal against deportation. Access to benefits will also be limited, and clearer priority given to . long-term local residents in social housing queues. Pageantry: Two boys help with the the Queen's parliamentary robe as she prepares to take a seat and give her annual address . Audience: Peers watch Her Majesty as she prepares to give her 2013 Queen's speech . In the Commons, Mr Cameron said: ‘Put . simply, our Immigration Bill will back aspiration and end the legacy of . the last government where people could come here and expect something . for nothing.’ He said the legislation was vital as . Labour had left a system  which was ‘out of control’, with around a . third of the ‘skilled’ migrants who came to the UK under Labour having . ended up ‘in low-skilled roles working  in takeaways or as security . guards’. The Prime Minister added: ‘Our . determination to end the last government’s something- for-nothing . culture is also why  we continue to pursue our  welfare reforms – every . one of them is about making sure  work pays.’ He pointed out that Labour leader Ed . Miliband had ordered his MPs to vote against the £26,000 benefit cap and . the one per cent freeze on annual benefits increases. ‘We are standing . up for hard-working people,’ he said. ‘This is a Queen’s Speech that . will back aspiration and those who want to get on.’ The Imperial State Crown is carried on a cushion as it arrives for the State Opening of Parliament . Prince Charles touches his cap as he and Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, walk through Parliament . Dramatic: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh walk up the stairs towards the House of Lords flanked by the Armed Forces . Her Majesty is led by the hand into the chamber by her 92-year-old husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh . Mr Miliband insisted the  Coalition . was doing nothing to boost growth, cut youth unemployment or tackle . rising living costs and was a ‘tired and failing government’. ‘Out of touch, out of ideas, standing up for the wrong people and unable to bring the change the country needs,’ he added. Attacking Mr Cameron’s attempt to win . back some of those who voted UKIP in last week’s elections, Mr Miliband . said: ‘They used to call them clowns. Now they want to join the circus.’ Labour’s housing spokesman Jack Dromey said: ‘Tackling illegal . immigration must not take us back to the days when my Irish father was . turned away from boarding houses displaying “no dogs, no Irish” signs.’ Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal . College of GPs, said: ‘Whilst the health system must not be abused and . we must bring an end to health tourism, it is important that we do not . overestimate the problem and that GPs are not placed in the invidious . position of being the new border agency.’ Jeremy Raj, of the London law firm . Wedlake Bell, said: ‘Expecting landlords to carry out the work of . immigration officials is unreasonable and unworkable.’ Queen Elizabeth rides in a carriage to the Palace of Westminster. She has only missed two State Openings since 1952, because she was pregnant . Event: The Queen starts her trip from Buckingham Palace this morning, accompanied by The Imperial State Crown, which travelled in its own carriage in front of her . On their way: Prince Charles and Camilla, . Duchess of Cornwall ride in a carriage to the Palace of Westminster for . the State Opening of Parliamen . Nimble: The 91-yar-old Duke of Edinburgh climbs out of the state coach as it arrives at Westminster . Chivalrous: Prince Philip then waits for his wife and helps her down before they took the steps up into the building . March: The men head for the vaults to search for explosives, after the event was targeted by Guy Fawkes, who tried to kill James I . Members of the Household Cavalry undergo last-minute checks at the Houses of Parliament this afternoon . Waiting: Judges sit in the House of Lords as they wait for the start of the State opening of Parliament .
moves to help ordinary families as evidence that people’. But Labour suggested one proposal – to require landlords to check the immigration status to the Queen in the Lords as she announces 20 bills which her Government hopes to pass in the are made to pay for using the NHS and who should pay for care is very different from Change law to stop foreign criminals using sounds tough, the impact is likely to be The Queen told MPs and peers that her will contribute . and deter those who  will not’. bigger fines for . businesses using illegal to check the immigration status of tenants. The or tackle . rising living costs and was a ‘tired