Queen’s Speech Briefing
Yesterday saw the Queen’s Speech to mark the reopening of parliament and provide further clues about how the Government plan to Build Back Better after the social and economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic and Regional Development is clearly a recurring theme throughout the legislative programme in what looks like being a continuation of a prolonged period of change (and workload!) for our profession.
The key economic themes of the Queen’s Speech remain a commitment to Levelling Up different areas of the UK, especially where the private sector is weak, overseeing both investment in and a speeding up of infrastructure development, growing the clean energy and ‘green’ sectors and a commitment to lifelong learning and skills development. Whilst much of the document was formed of existing programmes and announcements, the forthcoming legislative programme will influence the work of the profession for the foreseeable future. Proposed Bills include:
- A Skills and Post 16 Education Bill, revising the student loans system to have a focus on lifelong learning opportunities, placing employers at the heart of the skills system through the ‘Skills Accelerator’, extending powers to deal with failing colleges and improving regulation of Higher Education.
- A new Planning Bill which will introduce a new ‘zoning’ system aims to simplify planning processes to speed up the development of housing and infrastructure. The bill will also have provision for a new levy system for affordable housing development. The changes will remove the ability of Local Authorities to assess new developments on a case-by-case level and instead classify land as ‘protected’, ‘renewal’ or ‘growth’.
- There will be a Subsidy Control Bill and a Procurement Bill – to replace EU rules on State Aid with more flexible rules tailored to local needs and to simplify public sector procurement, including enabling more social value in contracts.
- The Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill will create a new agency to fund high risk, high reward Research & Development
- A Levelling Up White Paper is to be released later this year, setting out plans to improve living standards, grow the private sector and ensure the whole UK can benefit from the same access to opportunities. The recently announced Levelling Up lead advisor is Harborough MP Neil O’Brien and a new Levelling Up delivery unit is expected to be created.
To see a full transcript of the Queen’s Speech please click this link.