It’s good news for employers! The first solely Conservative Queen’s Speech for almost 20 years has put apprenticeships, helping employers and small businesses, at the heart of its aims through the newly announced ‘Enterprise Bill’.
The bill is designed to reduce regulation on small business to boost job creation, looking to cut red tape for British businesses by at least £10bn and, for the first time, require independent regulators to contribute to that target. A ‘Small Business Conciliation Service’ will also be set up to help to settle disputes over late payment practices that currently cripple small UK firms. Business rates are to be improved ahead of the 2017 revaluation, including modernising the appeals system. There have also been proposals to introduce a cap on public sector redundancy payment to six figures for the highest earners.
Another boost already unveiled during the election campaign was the intentions of the ‘Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill’, which intends to promote full employment and security of a job. The aim is to create two million more jobs and three million new apprenticeships. Minister will be required to report annually to parliament on their progress.
The ‘National Insurance Contributions and Finance Bill’ intends to enact pledges made in the election, such as no rise in income tax rates, VAT or NI before 2020, and that no one working 30 hours on the minimum wage pays any income tax at all. There will be a commitment to raise the threshold before which people pay income tax to £12, 500, which is set to benefit some 30 million people across the UK.
The ‘Childcare Bill’ is set to make things easier for working families, entitling parent in England to 30 hours of FREE childcare for 3-4 year olds for 38 weeks of the year. Currently, families are only entitled to 15 hours over the same period.
To find out more about how the newly-elected government may further benefit you, click here.
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