The Queen's Speech 2013 - delivered today at the State Opening of Parliament - included details on the plans for a new Pensions Bill which the government says will create a simple, flat rate pension that encourages saving and helps women that have had long career breaks.

There was also confirmation that the government will step up its crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion, with the introduction of a number of measures to raise overall tax take.

A Treasury spokesperson said that various initiatives were expected to raise an 'estimated £4.6bn in the next four to five years', including closing the NIC loophole for overseas registered UK employers, the recently negotiated tax arrangements with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and tighter control of LLPs.

The National Insurance Contributions Bill will also extend the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) to cover National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

It also mentioned the introduction of the National Insurance Contributions Bill which will cut the cost of recruiting new employees, meaning up to 1.25m employers will benefit, with around 450,000 of these taken out of paying employer NICs altogether - around a third of all employers. This was announced in Budget 2013.

The Queen also announced the closure of the Audit Commission, which the government says will save taxpayers up to £1.2bn and introduce better local auditing of public bodies and increase council accountability to electorate. The Local Audit and Accountability Bill will be published on Friday 10 May.