The Health and Social Care Bill received royal assent last week after last minute government concessions ensured the bill's passage through parliament before its dissolution for a June General Election.

Following the government's climbdown on compulsory care trusts and assurances on the governance and accountability arrangements of voluntary care trusts, the bill's only potential stumbling block was the plan to scrap community health councils (CHCs) in England.

As time ran out, health secretary Alan Milburn was forced to drop clauses relating to the abolition of CHCs or face losing the whole bill.

However, a spokesperson for Milburn said that the government remained committed to driving through its plan to scrap CHCs if they win the election.

In a tight schedule before parliament was dissolved, seven bills were dropped including the Adoption and Children Bill.

Care leavers and other young people at risk of homelessness or already homeless also lost out with the decision to drop the Homes Bill. The bill would have included statutory proposals for local authorities to strengthen the protection and duty owed to those who are unintentionally homeless and in priority need, including care leavers and ex-offenders.

Welsh children fared better, with the Children's Commissioner for Wales Bill receiving royal assent. The commissioner's primary responsibility will be to safeguard and promote children's rights and welfare. He will be able to review the actions of other individuals and bodies and examine the cases of particular children, as well as monitor arrangements for complaints, whistle-blowing and advocacy.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Rights in Education Bill, giving disabled children and students the right to education in mainstream schools and colleges, also received royal assent.

It will amend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 by placing new duties on schools and colleges not to treat disabled pupils less favourably and to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled pupils are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared with able-bodied pupils.

Chairperson of the Disability Rights Commission Bert Massie welcomed the potential of the "historic piece of legislation" to make a huge difference to the lives of disabled people. "For far too long the employment prospects of many disabled people have been restricted because of failures in the education system," he said.

Meanwhile, benefit cheats and persistent fraudsters will be tackled under the Social Security Fraud Act. Under this new piece of legislation, private and public sector organisations will have to provide information on individuals suspected of benefit fraud. People convicted twice of a benefit offence within a three-year period will have their benefit withdrawn or reduced.

Young offenders also face a crackdown under the new Criminal Justice and Police Act, which will extend child curfews to older children and allow the police to set up child curfew schemes. It will also extend the criteria for secure remands of persistent juvenile offenders and introduce powers to tag juveniles on bail.