Following the announcements of 40 bills in yesterday’s King’s Speech, industry organisations have been responding on the implications of the proposed legislation for their sectors and members.
The Chartered Institute perspective
Commenting on the speech, Marco Forgione director general of the Chartered Institute said:
“It is clear that the new government has placed growth at the heart of its agenda in yesterday’s King’s Speech. The proposed industrial strategy, for which the Chartered Institute has been calling, has to integrate clear import and export strategies. The creation of an Industrial Strategy Council is a strong step forwards and must include businesses as well as representative organisations including international trade.
“Any growth plans must be coupled with knowledge and giving businesses access to the training and development they need to thrive. It is positive that the government have committed to addressing the apprenticeship levy and creating Skills England to ensure the right tailored support is available on a region-by-region basis. The issue of far greater devolution is also welcomed.
“It is also pleasing to see that the government recognises the transformative role that trade digitalisation can play in boosting the economy. Having a digitally-enabled, modern border will help to unlock growth, bring us closer with our trading partners and future-proof the economy for generations to come. The work the Chartered Institute has undertaken in the past few years has proven that effective digitalisation of trade increases speed and profitability.
“International trade is the interlocutor that brings these ambitions to life. Trusted international trade helps businesses to be more sustainable, more resilient, more innovative, employee more people and be more profitable. The Chartered Institute will continue to advocate for businesses through the legislative agenda set out in the King’s Speech.”
BCC
The director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Shevaun Haviland, has said that the King’s Speech demonstrates a “commitment to an industrial strategy” that “could put in place a framework to unleash the pent-up ambition of British business to grow the economy”.
“If we use it to make green innovation a key driver of that growth, and link it to a coherent plan around skills, trade, devolution, and AI, then the possibilities could be endless.
“Billions of pounds of private investment have been held back by businesses which have been watching and waiting for long-term certainty in the economy.”
Haviland added, however, that there remain “big issues that need to be addressed”, including “improving our trade relationship with the EU” – something she says “will not be straightforward”.
Logistics UK
Logistics UK’s response to the speech highlighted the changes promised by the government in its Railways Bill, which will include a “statutory duty” for the new Great British Railways body “to promote the use of rail freight in addition to an overall growth target set by the Secretary of State”.
It also echoed the BCC in its call for the government to pay particular attention to the UK’s trading relationship with the EU:
“To succeed in kickstarting growth, the government must tackle costly trade friction with the EU, so it’s positive to hear the government’s commitment to resetting the relationship with European partners.
“Key to this is ensuring there is a clear plan to prevent the border disruption expected in the autumn when the EU Entry Exit System is introduced in addition to the next phase of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) import controls.”
FDF
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) described the government’s plans as “an ambitious agenda” which “our sector very much supports”.
Its response focused on the plans detailed on skills, including a growth and skills levy that “we hope will help to address the chronic skills shortage we currently face, at all skill levels, from operators and engineers to food technologists and scientists”.
On the government’s plans on manufacturing in the sector, it added:
“The government’s vision for an industrial strategy is particularly welcome. We hope this will drive good regulation and a dynamic business environment, alongside effective cross-government and intra-sector engagement.
“There are huge opportunities here to seize, to ensure our industry - the UK’s largest manufacturing sector – drives economic growth and skills development up and down the country.”
Energy UK
Chief executive of UK energy industry organisation Energy UK Emma Pinchbeck said the government’s “clean energy mission” could “drive economic growth” and “revive our world-leading progress in reducing emissions”.
“Key to this,” Pinchbeck said, “is attracting the private sector investment.”
“We also hope to see the government take steps to maximise the output from the upcoming renewables auction while the importance of speeding up the connections process and the building of infrastructure to actually deliver this expansion of clean energy cannot be overstated.”
