Itās fair to say that while weāre sure manufacturers would have welcomed some elements of last weekās Queenās Speech - the Energy and Levelling-Up Bills - but it was probably more notable as much for what it didnāt contain which would indicate that political priorities took centre stage.
ā” Energy Security Bill: A welcome announcement which matches manufacturersā ambition of increased faster, production of clean energy. Also good to see the Bill include elements of security of supply not just those of energy cost control and reduction.
ā Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: This is an important step to bridging the gap between ambition and change. However, the acid test for manufacturers will be how quickly it delivers the demonstrative real-world change manufacturers are seeking.
š” Housing Reform: This was a missed opportunity to set in stone the role of Modular housing as an integral pillar of reforms. Too often existing planning prejudices poor quality traditional building methods over high-quality precision engineered modular homes.
š· Procurement Bill: Did you know 9 in 10 manufacturers said winning public procurement contracts is difficult! No surprise then that the Procurement Bill will hopefully make it more accessible for new entrants, in particular SMEs, to access these opportunities and contracts.
ā No Employment Bill: Businesses will be frustrated that, yet again, three years after having promised it there was no Employment Bill. This is a major omission given how fast the world of work is changing, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.