Chamber disappointed with Government plans

Reacting to the Queen’s Speech, in which the Government lays out its plans for the year ahead, Paul Foster, Policy & Communications Executive at Chamber Business Connections said:

"We are unclear exactly how the Government plans to aid employers. Plans that we had hoped would be unveiled were omitted or glossed over, and some of the items included may have a negative impact on business in the coming year.

Of greatest concern is the planned increase in payouts for unfair dismissal cases, which will increase the burdens on employers and possibly lead to further costly employment tribunals.

The planned Occupational Pensions Bill may lead to fewer employers participating in pension provision as costs and red tape again potentially increase.

We are unclear as to how maintaining the push to get 50% of young people into Higher Education will aid the economy in the long term – especially given the debts that can now be accrued and the problems first-time buyers have in entering the property market, without the guarantee of jobs related to their education.

The decision to omit a Regional Assemblies Bill makes little sense. Businesses and individuals alike will, in less than twelve months time, be asked to vote on whether or not they want a Regional Assembly for the North-West, yet we still have no detailed proposal of what benefits this would bring to the region.

On a plus point however, the Traffic Management Bill is a step in the right direction. This will give the Highways Agency powers to keep traffic moving and will provide relief from congestion on our busiest roads.

All in all, the proposals announced may on the whole damage business, as there is certainly scope for further red-tape to be introduced to enforce some of the proposed legislative changes."