Promised corporate killing law is shelved

The Government's long-awaited law on "corporate killing" has been shelved yet again, the Evening Standard has learned.

The Bill, which would make companies responsible for huge disasters such as rail crashes, will not appear in the Queen's Speech despite strong lobbying by some Cabinet ministers and trade unions.

A leaked memo shows that the corporate manslaughter Bill, along with police and youth justice reforms, will not feature in the list of legislation for the Parliamentary year ahead.

ID cards will be fast-tracked, with a Bill introduced before the Commons breaks up for the Whitsun recess next Thursday. A Bill overhauling charity law will also get special treatment, with publication in the next two weeks. But the Home Office's violent crime Bill is not yet ready and will be introduced in the summer along with fresh legislation to tighten up immigration and asylum rules.

The revelations came as it emerged that ministers are keen to tone down some legislation to placate rebel Labour MPs. Some of the more controversial elements of the ID cards Bill, together with nonjury trials for terror suspects, are to be ditched.

The leaked Home Office email details the final legislative programme committee held last week to discuss which law and order measures should go in the Queen's Speech. It makes clear that the corporate manslaughter Bill - a Labour manifesto commitment at the general election - will not feature.

It will be announced " alongside" the Queen's Speech, but there is no guarantee it will appear in the coming parliamentary session. The memo shows that Home Secretary Charles Clarke was "relaxed" about it being left out.

Since the 1987 Zeebrugge ferry disaster, Labour has pledged tougher sanctions on big firms for their role in accidents. Not one director or firm has paid serious penalties for rail crashes such as Paddington, Potters Bar or Hatfield.

A Bill may appear in the coming session of Parliament but campaigners will be disappointed that it lacks the stamp of importance given to other measures.