Loughborough MP Jane Hunt has welcomed legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech today (10th May). The Queen’s Speech marks the start of the new parliamentary session and sets out the Government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead.
As a country, we have risen to challenges with no precedent in recent history – leading the response to President Putin’s attack on Ukraine and protecting lives and livelihoods in the battle against Covid – but these events have caused huge disruptions to the global economy. The Queen’s Speech set out 38 new bills helping us to continue delivering on the Government’s top priorities, including easing the cost of living and growing the economy, cutting crime and supporting communities, clearing the Covid backlogs, and providing the leadership needed in the years ahead.
Following the Queen’s Speech, Jane welcomed measures that will grow the economy to address the cost of living and improve living standards in Loughborough by:
- Levelling up and regenerating our towns and cities through the landmark Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, shifting power to local leaders. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will deliver planning reforms, regenerate towns and cities and shift power and accountability to local leaders giving communities a louder voice which will empower communities across the UK. Loughborough has already secured £17m in Town Deal funding.
- Modernising our business rates system through our Non-Domestic Rating Bill, increasing fairness for business owners. The Non-Domestic Rating Bill modernises the business rates system with more frequent revaluations based on more accurate data, increasing fairness for business owners on the amount of business rates they pay.
- Reforming our higher education system through the Higher Education Bill, raising educational standards and increasing fairness within the system. The Higher Education Bill will also introduce the lifelong loan entitlement – helping every student fulfil their potential wherever they live.
- Introducing the Social Security Bill, allowing more people nearing the end of their life to get fast-tracked access to key disability benefits, providing those most in need with the dignity they deserve.
- Improving tenants’ rights through the Social Housing Regulation Bill, ensuring better quality and safer homes. The Social Housing Regulation Bill improves tenants’ rights and ensures better quality, safer homes by strengthening the Social Housing Regulator, ensuring the body can better stand up for tenants and protect them from unsafe homes.
- Delivering a better deal for renters through the Renters Reform Bill, providing 4.4 million households with more secure and higher quality homes. The Government’s Renters Reform Bill will deliver a better deal for renters through reforms that will provide 4.4 million households with more secure and higher quality homes, providing a more stable rental market.
- Introducing a Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, which will improve the cyber resilience of smart devices and digital connectivity.
Commenting, Jane said:
“I warmly welcome the bills announced in this ambitious Queen’s Speech which will really help residents of Loughborough constituency with the increased cost of living and will deliver on the Government’s commitment to levelling up the country.
“In Loughborough we have already seen major investment in our town through the Town Deal which is currently being delivered. Later this year we will see the opening of the new T-Level Centre at Loughborough College and will soon be the home to a new £13m Institute of Technology which will help boost skills locally.
“The commitments in the Queen’s Speech builds on this record and I look forward to continuing to work with Government to deliver local priorities.”
