Bonfire Night is on November 5th because it is the anniversary of a monarch's controversial visit to Parliament. The monarch's annual visit still usually takes place around this time of year, and this year the State Opening of Parliament was on November 6th. The highlight is always the Queen's Speech, which outlines the Government's legislative programme for the year.

The most important bill this year from a green economics perspective is the Planning Reform Bill, to establish a new fast-track centralised system for the planning of major infrastructure projects such as nuclear power stations, airport runways, and new roads. This aims to put into law the policies in the recent Planning White Paper, discussed elsewhere on this website.

Four other bills touch on key green economics concerns.

The Climate Change Bill will establish a long-term legal framework for reducing carbon emissions, following a campaign organised by Friends of the Earth and then supported by David Cameron.

The Energy Bill will change regulations governing energy supply: boosting renewables, carbon capture and storage, and nuclear power.

The Housing and Regeneration Bill will create a new a quango, the Homes and Communities Agency, to push ahead with house building in south-east England.

There are also likely to be amendments to strengthen the Flexible Working Regulations, with the aim of increasing the number of parents who have flexible working arrangements so they can combine being in paid work with looking after their children.

Overall a mixed programme, with some good points in it. But still no sense from the Government that they understand that we are in a global ecological crisis - the early stages of the crisis, but beyond being simply a prediction - and that economic life needs to be drastically reorganised if we are to have any chance of dealing with it.

From our regular Westminster Correspondent in Government Nov 2007