Banks join benefit cheats, lap-dancing clubs and binge drinkers at the top of a list of targets for legislative action to be unveiled today. Gordon Brown has made fairness the theme of the second Queen’s Speech of his premiership, promising extra support for those who “play by the rules”.

Laws to stop banks calling in loans or changing conditions without proper notice are being prepared. Ministers will confirm that the banks’ voluntary code will be made statutory.

A decision on whether to legislate through the Banking Bill or hand the policing of the code to the Financial Services Authority has not yet been made. In either case banks would face fines if found to have broken the code: at present they face only the sanction of being “named and shamed”.

Measures to toughen laws against benefit fraud, ban irresponsible alcohol promotions and reclassify lap-dancing clubs as “sex encounter establishments” were trailed yesterday. There are plans for benefit claimants to face lie detector tests, officially known as “voice risk analysis technology”, and to lose benefits for a month if found guilty of cheating the system.

A Justice Bill will provide ministers with an opportunity to bring in reforms to the law on murder regarding provocation and diminished responsibility and provide greater protection for witnesses including more use of video links for vulnerable witnesses. The Bill will also provide a means for ministers to press ahead with allowing coroners’ inquests to be held in private in cases where intercept evidence is being heard.

A Bill overhauling citizenship and another reforming the police, in particular providing greater local control of police, are the two key measures from the Home Office. But plans for a data communications Bill have been put on hold after controversy over plans to create a giant government database holding all the records of people’s mobile phone calls, e-mails and text messages. Instead, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will hold a consultation on the issue early in the new year.

Plans by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, for a new Bill of Rights have been shelved. “It was pointed out that creating a new ‘right to welfare’, for example, would hardly help us win back the far greater number of ordinary working-class voters we’ve lost,” one minister said.Proposals to limit cigarette displays and extend flexible working will be outlined despite speculation that Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, had insisted they be dropped.

“Stronger communities, quite simply, will help our country come through these times faster and stronger,” the Prime Minister said in a document previewing the Queen’s Speech yesterday. “So as Government takes action, we expect people to play their part in return, with clear consequences for those who do not.”

In Britain, he added, there could never be “one rule for some, and another rule for others”.

Chris Grayling, the Tory welfare spokesman, challenged Mr Brown’s claims to have promoted fairness.

“Labour has failed to give people fair chances in life through proper education and welfare reforms and has let down communities by failing to control immigration and protect the victims of crime.

“Labour has been in power for ten years — it can hardly turn around and say Britain has to get fairer when it’s their policy failures which have caused a decade of unfairness.”The Prime Minister is also to press ahead next April with plans for more flexible working rights for 4.5 million staff. Although not formally part of the Queen’s Speech, business leaders hoped Mr Brown would use today’s legislative debate to signal a delay.

What the speech will announce

Welfare Reform Bill requires the unemployed to undergo skills assessments, and incapacity benefit claimants to be medically assessed

Citizenship, Immigration and Borders Bill requires new immigrants to learn English and restricts full access to benefits and social housing to full British citizens

Police Reform Bill strengthens police powers to seize assets, and introduces directly elected police representatives

Crime Bill changes prostitution and drink laws

Justice Bill changes murder laws to amend the defence of provocation

Health Bill introduces measures to promote public health and introduce NHS constitution

Education and Skills Bill will reform apprenticeships and raise the education leaving age to 18

Equality Bill introduces new measures requiring employers not to discriminate

Times Recommends

• Foxy Knoxy snared by her lust and her lies
• Britain is the land of the shrinking family
• Zac Goldsmith: Not such a green god