Following the King’s Speech, the food industry has responded to the plans and Bills put forward by the new Labour Government.
During the speech, which was delivered on Wednesday 17th July, His Majesty King Charles said that Government would “legislate to restrict advertising of ‘junk food’ to children” as part of a plan to reduce the consumption of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
The speech also highlighted the Government’s plan to introduce a new deal for working people to “ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights” as part of an Employment Rights Bill.
The Apprenticeship Levy will be reformed, becoming the Growth and Skills Levy. The King said Government intended to “have a new partnership with employers at its heart” as part of the Skills England Bill.
“Huge opportunities to seize” says industry
Karen Betts, chief executive, The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), said: “The Government set out an ambitious agenda in the King’s Speech, which our sector very much supports. It’s a sound basis on which we can partner with Government and others to deliver investment, growth and innovation; prosperity in our communities; and a strong everyday economy.
“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.”
Betts continued: “We also welcome the other measures included in today’s speech, including the New Deal for Working People. As an industry that employs half a million people, we look forward to engaging with Government to ensure this policy works for both our workforce and the diverse range of employers in our sector, 97% of which are SMEs. It’s good to see too the announcement of the growth and skills levy, which 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.
“Our industry also stands ready to partner with Government to help to tackle obesity and poor diets. We welcome the clarity provided today on the implementation of HFSS advertising restrictions. We hope secondary legislation and guidance will follow quickly, to enable industry to prepare effectively for the changes.
“Our focus now turns to working with Government to implement the policies they’ve set out. We’re confident that, with the right partnership with Government, we can turn the challenges our sector is facing – from boosting science and innovation, to reaching net zero, and supporting healthier and more sustainable diets and lifestyles – into tangible opportunities for economic growth.”
“With farmer confidence at an all-time low, investment in food and farming via an increased multi-annual agriculture budget is key to unlocking growth and future prosperity.”
Responding to the King’s Speech, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “I am pleased to say we have heard this new Government repeatedly state that food security is critical for national security. Now that it has set out its legislative activity for this session of Parliament, we need to see a plan for food production which backs this up. With farmer confidence at an all-time low, investment in food and farming via an increased multi-annual agriculture budget is key to unlocking growth and future prosperity.
“A number of Bills included in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament will be significant for British farm businesses, not least those relating to planning reform and infrastructure, crime and policing, mental health, skills and new technologies and renewable energy opportunities through the creation of GB Energy.
“Our farmers and growers are ambitious for the future, and with new policies that revitalise farm business confidence, Government can help to kickstart economic growth, deliver affordable, climate friendly, high welfare food production, improve the environment, and stimulate clean energy supply.
“We look forward to working in partnership with this new Government to help shape the legislation that will deliver this change.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: “The King’s Speech lays out the foundations for a more modern, dynamic British economy, and retailers look forward to playing their part in bringing this to life. The breadth of the retail industry means that many of these bills impact retailers and their customers, and we look forward to working closely with Government to maximise the industry’s contribution.
“We particularly welcome explicit bills to reform the Apprenticeship Levy and planning laws; tackle retail crime and antisocial behaviour; and accelerate the country’s clean energy transition. We acknowledge that this is just the first step in the legislative process and we look forward to working with the Government on all these bills.
